‘Absolutely Horrendous’ Start to 2026 on Australian Beaches

Three swimmers are dead after a tragic start to 2026 as emergency crews desperately look for other people missing in waters off the NSW coast.

Surf Lifesavers on jet skis search for a missing man at Coogee Beach, in Sydney, Thursday, January 1, 2026. A search is underway for a male swimmer believed to be missing in the water at Coogee. AAP Image/Jessica Hromas

Three people have drowned nationwide, and two people are missing and feared dead, as rescue crews resume water searches and multiple beaches remain locked down.

Two women died in NSW off the coast and an Irish national drowned at a popular Queensland tourist beach.