Surfer found dead Buddina Beach

Rescue teams at Buddina Beach, Queensland.Credit : Marine Rescue Queensland/Facebook

NEED TO KNOW

A missing lifeguard, 18, was found dead in northeastern Australia on Friday March 6
A search had been launched after he vanished while swimming at Buddina Beach in Queensland on Wednesday, March 4
“This is a heartbreaking loss for our clubs on the Sunshine Coast and for surf lifesavers right across Queensland,” said Surf Life Saving Queensland’s chief operating officer Greg Cahill

A lifeguard has been found dead just two days after he disappeared while swimming at a beach in northeastern Australia.

At around 6 p.m. local time on Friday, March 6, the missing man, 18, was found deceased, said Queensland Police in a news release. A report is being prepared for the coroner.

The discovery comes after a search and rescue operation was launched when the man was reported missing on Wednesday, March 4. According to the Queensland Police, rescue teams coordinated with local surf lifesavers, and volunteers trained to keep beachgoers safe to locate the missing lifeguard.

Gregory Cahill, the COO of Surf Life Saving Queensland, said the man was a member of the organization. He said the missing lifeguard disappeared after entering the water alone, per 7News.

Surfer found dead Buddina Beach

The swimmer’s body was found on March 6.Marine Rescue Queensland/Facebook

Team members of Surf Life Saving Queensland “focused all” of their resources on locating the missing man.

“These things hit home very, very hard. We do this every day and every week across our state, very, very proudly,” said Cahill, according to 7News. “But when it’s one of our own, it hits home very hard.”

A multi-agency search continued, with the help of rescue personnel on the water and in helicopters, until the lifeguard was found deceased on Friday.

Following the tragic discovery, Cahill said that the team member’s death was a blow to the fellow surf lifesavers.

“This is a heartbreaking loss for our clubs on the Sunshine Coast and for surf lifesavers right across Queensland,” he said, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “On behalf of Surf Life Saving Queensland, I extend our sincere and heartfelt condolences to this young man’s family and friends during this devastating time.”