British man and teenager drown in incident near Australia's Great Barrier Reef
A 46-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy from Britain drowned after being swept into rough waters off the Queensland coast in Australia.
They were swimming at Round Hill Head in the seaside town of Seventeen Seventy on Sunday when the incident occurred.
Emergency services responded at around 2.15pm local time and deployed a rescue helicopter, but both individuals were declared dead at the scene.
Police confirmed that the man and the teenager were visiting from the UK. While their names were not released, it was understood the victims were father and son.
Authorities did not confirm if their family had been informed.
A 37-year-old Australian man from Monto, a town some 150km inland, was also swept into the sea during the incident. He was rescued and airlifted to the Bundaberg Hospital with serious head injuries. The man was later transferred to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.
The emergency medical service described Sunday's rescue mission as 'difficult'. 'Multiple crews were tasked to the scene,' CapRescue was quoted as saying by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Darren Everard from Surf Life Saving Queensland called the drowning 'an absolute tragedy'. The incident occurred during the local school holiday period, a time when tourist numbers usually swelled in the region, he noted.
Mr Everard said authorities were still investigating. 'We're not sure whether the third person jumped into the water trying to perform a rescue,' he said.
He also warned of the dangers along the area's coastline, especially near creeks and rocky headlands, during high tides and strong swells. 'It's chaos in the water,' he said, 'and sadly, that's where we have coastal fatalities in Australia.'
Seventeen Seventy, nearly 500km north of Brisbane, and the neighbouring town of Agnes Water are known for their scenic beaches and proximity to the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. The area attracts large numbers of both domestic and foreign tourists around Easter.
In spite of their popularity, only one beach in the region, at Agnes Water, is patrolled by lifeguards.
Mr Everard urged all visitors to swim only at patrolled beaches and to familiarise themselves with local conditions. 'Seek local knowledge,' he said, 'but you also need to go to where those flags are.'
Australian beaches plant red and yellow flags to mark safe swimming zones.
Wayne Mellock, a local surf shop owner, said the community was reeling from the tragedy. 'Situations like this are absolutely horrific,' he told ABC News. 'We have a very huge amount of international tourists in our town.'
Police confirmed the drownings were being treated as non-suspicious and said a report would be prepared for the coroner.
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