Tragic Drowning Incident in Canberra River, Australia

Canberra, Dec 30 (NationPress) A man has tragically drowned in Canberra, bringing the total national drowning fatalities in Australia for December to 32. Authorities from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) confirmed on Monday that a 21-year-old man went missing while swimming in a river located in southern Canberra on Sunday evening.

Emergency responders were alerted at approximately 6 p.m. local time on Sunday after the man did not resurface, according to a police statement.

A search operation commenced, and divers from the Australian Federal Police located his body in the water just before 8 p.m.

An eyewitness attempted to assist the 21-year-old but was unsuccessful in locating him, as reported by Xinhua news agency citing the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

This incident raises the total number of drowning incidents across Australia in December to 32, based on statistics from Royal Life Saving Australia.

The number of drowning fatalities this month is equal to that recorded in the same timeframe of 2023, though it is marginally above the long-term average.

Earlier in December, Royal Life Saving Australia had cautioned that the period between Christmas Day and New Year's Day is the most perilous time of the year for drowning incidents in Australia.

They indicated that 26 percent of all drowning fatalities during the summer of 2023-24 occurred within this timeframe.

Earlier on December 30, two men lost their lives in separate incidents at waterholes in Queensland, a northeastern state of Australia.

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) reported that emergency services responded to a situation involving an 18-year-old man who fell approximately 15 meters down an embankment of a river in Maudsland, situated 55 km south of Brisbane, at 6:40 p.m. local time on Sunday.

Despite the medical assistance provided by paramedics, the QPS confirmed that the man succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the 18-year-old had been utilizing a rope swing from a rock embankment when the accident occurred.

Earlier that same day, a 55-year-old man perished after slipping and falling 30 meters from a waterfall in Behana Gorge, located over 1,300 km northwest of Brisbane.

The QPS stated that emergency services were called to Clamshell Falls, a well-known swimming spot in the gorge, at 1:30 p.m. after the man was reported missing in the water.

The individual was located about an hour later following a search and rescue effort.

Although medical assistance was provided at the scene, the man was pronounced dead, as confirmed by a police statement.

The QPS indicated that both incidents are being treated as non-suspicious, and reports will be compiled for the coroner.