New Delhi:
Two men from Telangana have drowned off Moonee beach in New South Wales, Australia, while another man is still missing, according to reports. News agency ANI reported that the victims jumped into the water to save drowning children but were caught in the currents. The incident took place on Monday.
Australia: 3 Indian nationals went missing from Moonee beach yesterday, 2 bodies recovered, search for other person underway.They jumped into water to rescue drowning children(from family) but were caught in the currents. The children were saved by a rescue team&taken to hospital
— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2018
Hindustan Times reported that the children were saved by a rescue team and rushed to a hospital and are said to be stable. Among those rescued were two girls and a boy. The deceased have been identified as Ghousuddin, 45, and his son-in-law Junaid, 28, of Manyam Chelka colony of Nalgonda down and Rahat, 35, from BHEL Colony on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
This is awful. Moonee Beach can be really dangerous, especially near the creek mouth https://t.co/R9lyMmVbD7
— Stephen Jeffery (@stephenejeffery) December 17, 2018
The bodies of Ghousuddin and Rahat were brought to shore, while the search for Junaid was still on."We just came here for a get together…and we thought of having a good time together. It's too much to bear," Shahbaz Mohammed, a relative told a local TV channel.Â
The Indian families from Sydney and Brisbane had come to spend their holidays at Coffs Harbour and were visiting the scenic Moonee Beach, 23 kilometres north of Coffs Harbour in New South Wales.Â
Moonee Beach: It's hard to imagine the grief being felt by a Sydney family tonight after two relatives drowned while swimming at an unpatrolled beach. A third man is still missing with hope fading of finding him alive. @NatashaSquarey #7News pic.twitter.com/42AGk6ZVnG
— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) December 18, 2018
“It was like a reunion for them. The families from Sydney and Brisbane had come together to spend holidays together. They had rented a place and were visiting the nearby beach when the tragedy occurred,†Syed Siraj Patel, of the Indian Muslim Association of Australia (IMAA) was quoted as saying by the website.
"My brother Mohammed Abdul Junaid went to Australia in the year 2014 for completing his masters and since then he was staying in Sydney. Yesterday, Junaid along with his father-in-law Mohammed Ghousuddin, his two daughters Easha, 17, Ramsha, 12, one son Mohammed Aaqib, 15, and his cousin Rahat went to Moonee beach near Coffs Harbour for a holiday,"Â Nazreen, sister of Junaid, told ANI.
