The recent string of tragic incidents on beaches across the NSW Mid North Coast is growing, with a search stood down until tomorrow morning for a Sydney school leaver who was swept out to sea near South West Rocks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 18-year-old, who recently graduated from elite private The Kings School in Sydney’s north west, was swimming with friends off Little Bay Beach in Arakoon at about 4.20pm on Sunday.<\/p>\n
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Westpac Rescue Helicopter was assisting in the multi-agency search.\u00a0 (ABC Mid North Coast: Sophia McCaughan\u00a0)<\/p>\n
NSW Police confirmed the search would recommence at 8am on Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
Local Chief Inspector Mick Aldridge said the young man was on a schoolies trip with friends to celebrate the end of HSC exams.<\/p>\n
“Witnesses and bystanders tried to get to him, but he was dragged out to sea,” he said.<\/p>\n
“A member of the National Parks was also trying to get him out of the water.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
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NSW Police Chief Inspector Mick Aldridge says the teenager’s friends attempted to save him before he was dragged out to sea.\u00a0 (ABC Mid North Coast: Sophia McCaughan\u00a0)<\/p>\n
Little Bay Beach is an unpatrolled remote beach with President of Surf Life Saving Mid North Coast, Rod McDonagh explaining the area is dangerous to navigate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“The surf is quite turbulent, quite choppy. It’s very rocky round here and a lot of cliff faces,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Safety advice on the National Parks and Wildlife Service website states that beaches in the Arakoon National Park “can have strong rip currents”.<\/p>\n
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A National Parks beach safety sign at Little Bay near South West Rocks.\u00a0 (Sophia McCaughan: ABC Mid North Coast)<\/p>\n
Keith Robinson, a surfer and board shaper from nearby Nambucca, said the area around Little Bay was deceptively dangerous.<\/p>\n
“It’s a beautiful looking place, nice big sand bar, and it’s shallow,” he said.<\/p>\n
“But if you venture out a little too far there’s a hell of a current ripping around the back of that wall there.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
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A swimmer has gone missing at Little Bay Beach at Arakoon near South West Rocks on the NSW Mid North Coast. (Sophia McCaughan: ABC Mid North Coast)<\/p>\n
‘Tragic’ start to summer<\/p>\n
This latest incident comes after the death of a 59-year-old man who drowned at Racecourse Beach, near Crescent Head on Friday.<\/p>\n
That November 28 fatality came only a day after a Swiss woman died and a man was severely injured during a shark attack at Crowdy Bay<\/a>, located in the south of the NSW Mid North Coast.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Summer has started with a bit of a tragic flurry,” CEO Surf Life Saving NSW Steven Pearce said.<\/p>\n “It’s been a very difficult 48 hours for the first responders.<\/p>\n “It does show the dangers of swimming outside of those red and yellow flags where there are no lifesavers.”<\/p>\n Surf Life Saving NSW is urging people to swim at patrolled beaches where there are lifesavers on duty.<\/p>\n Just after dark on November 23, an 18-year-old man drowned after being swept out to sea at Soldiers Beach on the NSW Central Coast.<\/p>\n