- The 22-year-old was caught in a rip at a Nambucca beach in New South Wales
- The search continues 36 hours after he went missing on Saturday afternoon
- Dangerous weather conditions were brought on by Tropical Cyclone Gita
- Beaches along the New South Wales coast have been closed
The search for a 22-year-old man who was swept out to sea when swimming at a Nambucca beach continues more than 36 hours after he went missing.
The man was swimming with a group of people when he was caught in a rip and dragged out to sea at around 5.45pm Saturday, police say.
The search for the 22-year-old began at 6.30am Monday after harsh swells and dangerous condition caused the search to be postponed on Sunday.
A 22-year-old man has been missing since Saturday after he was caught in a rip at a Nambucca beach (file: photo)
The search comes after a 24-year-old man died after collapsing at Hat Head beach, east of Kempsey, NSW, while swimming.
The man’s girlfriend dragged him out of the water and members of the public gave CPR until paramedics arrived.
The dangerous conditions in the water are a result of Tropical Cyclone Gita that hit Tonga last week, according to Meteorologist Max Gonzalez.
This large swell in Queensland is due to Tropical Cyclone Gita and similar scenes are expected in New South Wales
Beaches along the New South Wales coast have been closed due to dangerous conditions, spanning from Byron to Sydney and Eden (file: photo)
Many believe the conditions will only get worse.
Liam Howitt, from Surf Life Saving NSW, said that he expected ‘waves in excess of four metres’ to push down from Queensland as a result.
Surf Lifesaving NSW has warned that people thinking of heading down to the beach that they should only go to patrolled beaches and the Bureau of Meteorology has also issued a dangerous surf warning that spans Byron, Sydney and Eden.