NSW Police suspend search for two swimmers missing from Sydney over New Years
Police have suspended their search for two men missing at sea following separate incidents in Sydney over the New Year.
Emergency services rushed to Palm Beach shortly before noon on New Year’s Eve following reports that a boat had capsized near Barrenjoey Point.
The 47-year-old man was pulled from the water by Surf Life Saving members and treated by paramedics.
Tragically, he died at the scene.
While the second person, a 45-year-old man who climbed the rocks, was rescued by the Paid Ambulance Rescue Helicopter, a search was launched for the 16-year-old passenger on the boat.
Tragically, police said on Sunday the search has since been suspended.
NSW Police Marine Area Command will continue to patrol the Barrenjoey Headland area.
Police said they had also suspended the search for a missing 22-year-old man who had trouble in the water at Coogee Beach shortly after 6am on January 1.
NSW Police, along with Maritime Command, NSW Ambulance, Surf Life Saving NSW and Randwick City Council searched for the man.
Despite all the searches on land and at sea, the young man could not be found.
Police said land patrols will continue until further notice by East Coast Police Area Command.
A total of three people drowned on NSW beaches over the New Year period.
A 25-year-old woman was found dead at Maroubra Beach, while another 45-year-old woman drowned at Dunbogan Beach near Port Macquarie on the NSW Mid North Coast on Thursday afternoon.
Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steven Pearce said the tragedies were a “terrible” start to the new year.
“We knew New Year’s Day was going to be very operationally busy for us because statistically we see that people are three times more likely to drown at that time than at any other time of the year,” he told the ABC.
