Overview
- Members of the public, including two off-duty nurses and a young man, pulled a 66-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman from the water and performed CPR.
- NSW Ambulance paramedics continued resuscitation efforts, but the pair were pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 11am local time on March 11.
- Police confirmed the victims were a married couple from the UK visiting family in the Illawarra, with some relatives present at the beach.
- The incident occurred at an unpatrolled section of Shellharbour Beach as a multi-agency response attended and a rescue helicopter was called but ultimately not required.
- The UK Foreign Office is providing consular support to the family as NSW Police prepare a report for the coroner and urge swimmers to use patrolled areas.