Authorities confirm that six individuals have died as relentless waves struck the eastern coast of Australia, causing panic and peril during the Easter holiday.
Tragic Easter Weekend: Six Lives Lost to Monster Waves in Australia
Tragic Easter Weekend: Six Lives Lost to Monster Waves in Australia
Devastating surf conditions wreak havoc along Australia's eastern coastline, leading to multiple fatalities.
As Easter weekend unfolded, Australia's eastern coast was met with a fury of nature as enormous waves wreaked havoc, resulting in the tragic loss of at least six lives. The calamity unfolded as a low-pressure system arrived, unleashing surf conditions that reached heights over 24 feet off the coast of Queensland on Friday, prompting authorities to issue stern warnings.
The Australia meteorological agency alerted citizens to hazardous surf conditions posing threats to rock fishing, swimming, and boating along stretches of coastline from Queensland down to New South Wales, including popular areas like Sydney and Byron Bay. It was during this perilous period that emergency services received reports of individuals being swept into the surging ocean.
By the time authorities lifted the hazardous surf warning on Sunday, five fatalities were reported in New South Wales, including incidents in Sydney, while one additional death occurred in Victoria. These tragedies were primarily linked to individuals reportedly fishing or traversing dangerous rocky areas when they were unexpectedly pulled into the surf.
On Sunday morning, a particular incident involving a man fishing in Wattamolla, located approximately 20 miles south of Sydney, ended dramatically with his drowning after being swept away. His fishing companion, a 14-year-old boy, was rescued and is currently in stable condition. Days earlier, a group of friends experienced another perilous moment when one of them went missing at Little Bay Beach after being swept into the ocean.
In Victoria, the surf claimed the life of a woman who fell from the rocks at San Remo, while two others were also swept away, with one still unaccounted for.
According to information from Royal Life Saving Australia, 2024 saw 128 drownings in New South Wales, half of which occurred along coastlines—a sobering reminder of the risks posed by Australia's unpredictable ocean conditions during the festive season.
