Double drowning tragedies mar New Year’s celebrations in Queensland
Back-to-back drowning tragedies have marred the start of 2025 in Queensland, with two women dying in separate incidents.
A woman disappeared while tubing in fast-moving water near an Emu Creek campground, about 100 kilometres north-west of Brisbane in Queensland’s Somerset region, about 2.30pm on New Year’s Eve.
An inflatable boat and floating rings at the scene.
Credit: Nine News
Police divers, a helicopter and drones joined the search for the woman on New Year’s Day. Officers were due to address the media about the search effort at 11am on Wednesday at the scene, but the press conference was cancelled when the woman’s body was found.
Emu Creek, north of Brisbane, where a woman died while tubing on New Year’s Eve.
Credit: Nine News
At about the same time – 170 kilometres away – a woman drowned at a popular Gold Coast swimming, snorkelling and diving spot.
The woman was reportedly scuba diving at Wave Break Island in the Gold Coast Broadwater, near Labrador, when she got into trouble about 10am on Wednesday.
“The woman was pulled unresponsive from the ocean at Main Beach. She was declared dead at the scene,” a police spokeswoman said. Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
On New Year’s Eve, a teenager was flown to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital with a suspected spinal injury after he dived into the shallow waters of Lake McKenzie on K’gari, formerly known as Fraser Island.
A LifeFlight helicopter landed on the beach near the lake, where a critical care doctor worked with Queensland Ambulance paramedics to treat the teenager before he was flown to hospital.
