Desperate search for missing Coogee swimmer resumes

The search for the man who was dragged into the sea on New Year’s Eve has resumed.

The Nepali national had been missing for more than 24 hours after getting into trouble in rough surf at Coogee Beach, east of Sydney, just after 6am on New Year’s Day.

He was among the group of four people who were swept out to sea due to a “very large breach”, but he could not be pulled to shore by two off-duty lifeguards and an off-duty police officer, while the other three could not be saved.

Jet skis, council rangers, lifeguards and police boats returned to the water on Friday morning to search for the man, but it is understood the search turned into a mission to recover his body.

The man is one of two people authorities are searching for in NSW after three people drowned in a horrific start to the new year.

Just an hour before the man was swept out to sea at Coogee, another woman died when a wave crashed into rocks at Maroubra Beach, just 4km away.

Search efforts continue for a 14-year-old boy who could not be found after the boat he was on with a man he was traveling with about to drown turned upside down in the rough sea off the coast of Palm Beach, north of Sydney.

Surf Lifesaving NSW CEO Steven Pearce described the drownings as “frustrating” and preventable.

“Each of these drownings occurred in an uncontrolled location, one occurred in Coogee, there were no lifeguards or lifeguards on duty, no flags were raised. (Going in) was incredibly dangerous,” he told ABC Breakfast.

Beaches across Sydney were closed on New Year’s Day after big surf conditions became too dangerous.