Married British couple drown on family day out at busy Australian beach

A married British couple drowned in front of horrified relatives during a family day out at a beach in Australia.

The pair, a 66-year-old man and 64-year-old woman, got into difficulty while swimming at Shellharbour Beach South at Shell Cove, New South Wales, early on Wednesday.

Other beachgoers, including two off-duty nurses, pulled them from the water and performed CPR until paramedics arrived but both were declared dead there a short while later.

Police said the couple were from the UK and had gone to Australia to visit relatives, some of whom were at the beach at the time.

New South Wales Police Inspector Luke Geradts told ABC News: ‘This is a tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the family who lost their loved ones today.’

Commending the bravery of those who tried to revive the couple, he added: ‘They’re young people who are upstanding members of our community who did a great job today in trying to give this couple the best chance.’

The incident triggered a huge response, with paramedics supported by firefighters and an air ambulance which was ultimately not required.

More than a dozen emergency workers remain at the scene, where privacy tents were put up to shield other day-trippers from the harrowing scenes.

Remarkably, the two off-duty nurses who ran to the couple’s rescue did not know each other and had been separately visiting the beach between shifts, the Daily Mail reports.

It is understood the beach was not being patrolled by lifeguards at the time.

Police are expected to provide an update later today.

There have now been 81 open water deaths reported across the country since December 1, News.com reports.

Royal Life Saving Australia said on its website: ‘This represents one person drowning almost every day over summer.’

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