Swimmer feared dead after disappearing while taking a dip in a remote Queensland lake – as the desperate search is expected to continue long into the night
- 49-year-old swimmer missing in Queensland
- Failed to resurface in the water at Lake Tinaroo
- Search is expected to continue into night
A desperate search is underway for a swimmer who was reported missing in a far north Queensland lake on Sunday morning.
Emergency services launched the rescue operation just after 11am at Lake Tinaroo, near Cairns, after reports a 49-year-old man was swimming and failed to resurface.
A Queensland Police spokesperson said the search is continuing at the Church Street site with assistance from water police and fire services.
A search (pictured) is underway for a 49-year-old male swimmer at Lake Tinaroo, an hour and a half out of Cairns
‘The man failed to resurface after assisting children in distress in the water’, Queensland Police Sergeant Winfred Weiss told Cairns Post.
‘The man was last seen 300m from the boat ramp on the western side of the lake.’
‘It would appear he was helping some family members in distress and during the process of handing them out, he got into difficulties and failed to surface around 11am’, he said.
Sgt Weiss is co-ordinating the search and believes it will continue late into Sunday night.
‘We are conducting an extensive search in the area using SES flood boats and QFES Swift Water rescue teams.’
Emergency services are present at the Church Street site after the swimmer went missing just after 11am on Sunday
‘We also have Queensland ambulance paramedics on standby and the Queensland Water Police are also here.’
Further resources are on their way, with a police dive squad being flown in from Brisbane to assist.
‘The SES are assisting with a drone and floodboats from Atherton, Malanda and Mareeba, and rescue helicopter 510 has also joined in the search’, Sgt Weiss said.
‘The search is ongoing and we’re doing our very best, in this case, we’ve pulled out all the stops, every resource we have is being utilised.’
The swimmer is reported to have been assisting children in distress at Lake Tinaroo (pictured) before failing to resurface
‘Everyone who was with the man at the time of the incident have been accounted for and his next of kin have been contacted,’ he said.
Members of the public had already began searching for the missing swimmer using private jet skis and boats before police arrived.
Police have ‘no vision’ of what occurred but anyone with any information is urged to contact police.
