Latest news with #DarrenEverard
The Independent
14-04-2025
- The Independent
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.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
British father and son drown off Australian coast
A British father and son have reportedly drowned after they were swept out to sea off the coast of a popular Australian tourist town. The 46-year-old man and his 17-year-old son reportedly got into difficulty while swimming at a beach in Seventeen Seventy - named after the year Captain James Cook landed in Queensland. They were declared dead at the scene after being pulled from the water by a rescue helicopter. A third man, an Australian who is believed to have tried to rescue the pair, was taken to hospital after suffering head injuries, according to local media. CapRescue, the emergency service that conducted the operation on Sunday, said it "was a difficult one". "At 2.17pm, emergency services were called to 1770 after reports three people had been swept out into the ocean," they said in a statement on Facebook. Read more "Multiple crews were tasked to the scene, including CapRescue. Despite the best efforts of all involved, two people tragically lost their lives. "One patient was transported by air to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a life-threatening condition. "Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this heartbreaking incident." Police confirmed the pair were visiting from the UK and said a report would be prepared for the coroner, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), while 7News reported they were father and son. The town, at the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef, draws visitors from around the world and is busy with tourists in the school holidays before Easter. Surf Life Saving Queensland's regional operations manager, Darren Everard, told ABC the deaths were "an absolute tragedy". "Around any of our creeks and headlands… especially on a high tide when there's a big swell, it's chaos in the water and… sadly, that's where we have coastal fatalities in Australia," he said. "I think everyone should just take that little bit of time when they go on holidays, and it doesn't matter where you are around Australia, seek local knowledge… but you also need to go to where those flags are." A foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of two British nationals who have died in Australia and are in contact with the local authorities."
Sky News
14-04-2025
- General
- Sky News
British father and son drown off Australian coast
A British father and son have reportedly drowned after they were swept out to sea off the coast of a popular Australian tourist town. The 46-year-old man and his 17-year-old son reportedly got into difficulty while swimming at a beach in Seventeen Seventy - named after the year Captain James Cook landed in Queensland. They were declared dead at the scene after being pulled from the water by a rescue helicopter. A third man, an Australian who is believed to have tried to rescue the pair, was taken to hospital after suffering head injuries, according to local media. CapRescue, the emergency service that conducted the operation on Sunday, said it "was a difficult one". "At 2.17pm, emergency services were called to 1770 after reports three people had been swept out into the ocean," they said in a statement on Facebook. "Multiple crews were tasked to the scene, including CapRescue. Despite the best efforts of all involved, two people tragically lost their lives. "One patient was transported by air to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a life-threatening condition. "Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this heartbreaking incident." Police confirmed the pair were visiting from the UK and said a report would be prepared for the coroner, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), while 7News reported they were father and son. The town, at the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef, draws visitors from around the world and is busy with tourists in the school holidays before Easter. Surf Life Saving Queensland's regional operations manager, Darren Everard, told ABC the deaths were "an absolute tragedy". "Around any of our creeks and headlands… especially on a high tide when there's a big swell, it's chaos in the water and… sadly, that's where we have coastal fatalities in Australia," he said. "I think everyone should just take that little bit of time when they go on holidays, and it doesn't matter where you are around Australia, seek local knowledge… but you also need to go to where those flags are."
The Independent
14-04-2025
- The Independent
British man and teenager drown after being swept out to sea in Australia
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, Metro reported. 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.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Two British tourists drown in Australia
Two British tourists have drowned off the coast of Australia while swimming near the Great Barrier Reef. A boy, aged 17, and a man, aged 46, were swept out to sea on Sunday near the town of Seventeen Seventy, Queensland, on Sunday. They were declared dead at the scene after their bodies were recovered from the water by rescuers, the BBC reports. The pair, who are yet to be formally identified, were swimming off the coast of a beach without any lifeguards. One Australian man, who was airlifted to hospital with serious head injuries, is reported to be in a life-threatening condition. "We're not sure whether the third person jumped into the water trying to perform a rescue," Surf Life Saving Queensland's Darren Everard told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). In a social media post, emergency rescue service CapRescue said: "Sunday's mission was a difficult one," adding that the two people had died "despite the best efforts of all involved". More to follow.
