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Posted: 2018-12-17 10:50:37

Updated December 18, 2018 01:07:46

Two men have drowned and a man is missing after getting into trouble at a beach near Coffs Harbour on the New South Wales mid-north coast.

  • Surf was described by a witness as "ferocious"
  • Three teenagers were taken to Coffs Harbour Hospital for observation
  • Police would be recommending bravery awards for some involved in the rescue

Police said at about 6:15pm on Monday a group of six people — including three teenagers — began to struggle in the surf while swimming at Moonee Beach, north of Coffs Harbour.

Moonee Beach is an unpatrolled beach and authorities believe the group was likely swept out by a strong rip.

Surf Lifesaving NSW said the group was 300 metres offshore by the time the call for help came.

Off-duty Coffs Harbour lifeguards used rescue boards during the operation which was also attended by the Westpac helicopter.

Two men, aged 35 and 45, were removed from the water but could not be revived.

A third man, aged 28, remains missing after the search had to be suspended due to bad light.

The search will resume this morning.

Two girls, aged 15 and 17, and a 15-year-old boy were also removed from the water and were taken to Coffs Harbour Hospital for observation.

Police said all six are believed to have known each other and are from western Sydney.

Witness Michelle Collard said the two men pulled out of the water were not in a good way after struggling in the "ferocious" surf.

"They had oxygen masks on their faces and they were absolutely exhausted, you could see that they had put up a good struggle just trying to get themselves out of the water."

She said locals pitched in to help search for the missing man, while others assisted with CPR.

Inspector Brendan Gorman from Coffs Harbour Police said rescuers and volunteers conducted "some really brave actions".

He said police would be recommending bravery awards for some involved in the rescue.

"One particular lifeguard went out quite some distance, we believe three or four or 500 metres out to bring one person back."

Surf Lifesaving NSW CEO Steven Pearce said the tragedy highlighted the importance of swimming at patrolled beaches and understanding how to identify rips.

"Our thoughts and hearts go out to the family of the victims and to the brave lifeguards that responded and tried valiantly to save everyone," Mr Pearce said.

"An event like this unfolding so close to the festive season only magnifies the grief and devastation."

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter has dropped a dye pack to determine the direction of the current and tide to determine the likely location of the missing man.

Topics: disasters-and-accidents, accidents, moonee-beach-2450, coffs-harbour-2450, nsw

First posted December 17, 2018 21:50:37

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