During the Easter long weekend, The east coast of Australia was the scene of a tragic sequence of events. Hazardous waves and unstable surf conditions resulted in six confirmed fatalities. Two people are still missing.
Enormous swells pounded sections of New South Wales and Victoria, rendering conditions highly dangerous along the coast. In New South Wales, several drowning incidents were reported.
Two men were swept off rocks at Tathra on Saturday morning one was rescued, the other was found dead later. In another incident, a 58-year-old fisherman drowned when he was swept off the break wall at Wollongong. Other deaths included a man who drowned at Middle Head Point in Sydney Harbour and another at Green Cape, on the southern coast.
Search Ongoing for Missing Swimmer in Sydney, Australia
Police continue to hunt for a missing swimmer who disappeared off the beach at Little Bay in south Sydney on Friday.
In Victoria too, things were no better. One woman died and a man is still missing after the two were washed out into the sea at San Remo. The incident happened while both of them were with a group. One lady in the group was able to return to shore, but the rest didn’t make it.
Rogue Waves and Swell Intensify Coastal Dangers in Australia
The weekend waves came to alarming levels, with heights ranging between 4.5 and 5.5 meters, rendering coastal areas extremely hazardous. This was compounded by the influence of an off-shore weather system, which increased ocean swells.
The increasing cost has also provoked critical concerns over beach safety, particularly during the peak holiday months when beach visitation is high. Most of the accidents have taken place in unguarded areas or at moments when beach alertness was overlooked.
Officials Urge Caution Amid Rising Dangers
Safety officials have long cautioned against the dangers of swimming at unpatrolled beaches. Rip currents remain a major cause of coastal drowning. Individuals are urged to swim only at patrolled beaches, remain vigilant about wave conditions, and always exercise caution.
This chain of mishaps is a bitter reminder of how volatile the ocean is and how soon pleasure by the sea can turn into disaster.
