AAP General News (Australia)
12-30-1998
QLD: Man drowns on Fraser Island
BRISBANE, Dec 30 AAP - A 49-year-old man drowned on Fraser Island off South-east Queensland
today when he and his brother became caught in a rip on a lonely stretch of beach near where
their families had been camping.
Creagh Mecham, Energex Community Rescue helicopter pilot, said the man went swimming at 10
am about 5 km south of Eurong on the eastern side of the island.
When he had not returned after half an hour, his 53-year-old brother went looking for him
in the surf.
"He found him but in the process he nearly drowned," Mr Mecham said.
A third man then joined the search and found both men and was able to pull them both from
the water.
An ambulance paramedic on the beach tried unsuccessfully to revive the younger man while
the rescue helicopter was summoned to take his brother to hospital in Hervey Bay were he was
reported to be in a stable condition this evening.
Mr Mecham said there have been rips and treacherous conditions all along the Fraser Island
and Sunshine Coast beaches today and warned swimmers not to swim on lonely, unpatrolled
beaches.
The name of the dead man has not yet been released.
AAP rad/jnb
KEYWORD: DROWNING
1998 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
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