Dramatic details have been revealed about the desperate efforts to save a newlywed couple who drowned during their honeymoon at a Sydney beauty spot.
The 32-year-old woman, believed to be from South Korea, was pulled from the water at Shelly Beach in Manly, on Sydney’s northern beaches, just before 1pm on Wednesday.
Her devastated new husband lay next to her on the beach as bystanders tried to save her life before emergency services arrived.
Beachgoers have now revealed how the alarm was raised when a teenage boy tried to wake the woman after she was seen face down and motionless.
When she failed to respond, a massive rescue operation was immediately launched and she was pulled from the water as locals tried to revive her on the beach.
“It looked like someone was snorkeling,” said a local mother who was with friends on the remote beach at the time.
‘One of the boys in our group was in the water near where she was and two men shouted at him to look at her as they had probably seen her floating.
Dramatic details have been revealed about the desperate efforts to save a newlywed stranger who drowned at a Sydney beauty spot during her honeymoon
It is understood the woman was a newlywed enjoying her honeymoon when she died (scene pictured)
‘He tapped her, but she didn’t respond. At that point, bystanders rushed in to pull her out.”
Another mother on the beach revealed how her friend’s 13-year-old son made the grim discovery.
“There were two men standing on the rocks pointing at her – I don’t know how they saw something was wrong, she just looked like the other snorkelers that were around,” the local mother said.
“My friend’s son swam over and tapped her, but she didn’t respond. Then he lifted her arm and it just fell back into the water.
‘At that point he tried to get underwater to pick her up and the two men jumped into the sea to help him.
“They turned her around and she just flopped. One of the boys said he thought he saw blood and water in her face mask. They then dragged her out of the water.”
They tried in vain to perform life-saving CPR to revive her as her distraught newlywed husband watched and wailed in heartbroken grief.
“It was very disturbing to hear the man in such distress,” the beachgoer told Daily Mail Australia.
‘There were people trying to comfort the poor man while his wife was being worked on.
‘We all sympathize with that poor man and the pain and heartbreak he must now experience.
‘They had been working on her for a long time. The first responders were amazing.”
The second mother said blood and foam came from the victim’s mouth when rescuers tried to perform chest compressions on her.
“It was quite traumatic,” she said. ‘I had four children with me and I took them with me.
‘I tried to contact the other snorkelers to see if they were related to her, but they weren’t. I think she’s been in the water for a while.
‘She may have hit her head on the rocks while snorkeling and drifted away, which could explain the blood.
“The kids asked me afterwards how someone can die while snorkeling if you have breathing apparatus, and I can’t explain it any other way unless she had some other kind of medical episode.”
Beachgoers said there was initial confusion about what was happening, but everyone quickly worked together to save the young woman.
“I heard a lot of screaming, then turned around and saw them pulling someone out and starting CPR,” the first-time mother said.
“There was a lot of clamoring for what was needed and people rushed to do what they could to help.”
The woman, 32, drowned at Shelly Beach in Manly on Wednesday afternoon (pictured) after being seen face down and motionless in the sea
The woman, 32, was pulled from the water at Shelly Beach in Manly (pictured)
She said the boy who first contacted the dead woman was also traumatized by the tragedy.
“We all are,” she added. “It was a very tragic and sad day.”
The second mother added: ‘I couldn’t sleep last night. Seeing her like this kept flashing through my mind. I’ve never seen a dead person. It was horrible.
“Her poor husband, as we were leaving we just heard a man screaming and crying and wailing and we realized that had to be her husband.”
A fleet of police cars and ambulances rushed to the scene of the accident and attempted to treat the woman, but she could not be revived.
A local man, Troy Constable, told Facebook users that the woman was a Korean national.
“Married three days ago,” he posted. “I was on the beach and saw the aftermath.”
At least ten police cars were seen at the scene, along with firefighters from Dee Why Station.
A Bankstown rescue helicopter was also called and landed directly on the sand.
The beach was closed and spectators were asked to leave the scene.
Locals are now demanding that the city council staff the beach with full-time lifeguards.
“I don’t know why there aren’t lifeguards on that beach in the summer,” said one mother.
‘It’s always a busy beach and there’s no one to pay attention to anyone around.
“Everyone is on their phones and no one would think that a snorkeler face down in the water would be something to worry about.
‘And especially because that beach is an attraction for tourists. Lifeguards are needed.”
According to Royal Life Saving Australia, it is the 58th drowning in Australia since the start of summer, compared to 46 at the same time last year.
The woman has not yet been formally identified. A report will be prepared for the coroner.