Pebbly Beach, NSW South Coast drowning: Yuliya Pashkovska identified as mother killed

A nurse was camping with her husband and two sons when she tragically drowned on a remote beach.

Yuliya Pashkovska, 43, became stuck in a rip while swimming at Pebbly Beach, on the NSW south coast, about 1pm on Tuesday.

A surfer and a nearby bodyboarder ran to Ms. Pashkovska, pulled her onto the surfboard and attempted CPR.

A Westpac rescue helicopter team took her to shore, where paramedics desperately tried to revive Ms Pashkovska, but she could not be saved.

She is survived by her husband Oleg and their two sons, Markian, 13, and Vitaly, 11.

Ms Pashkovska was a nurse who emigrated to Australia from Ukraine in 2005 to work as a junior doctor and was “much loved” by colleagues.

Mrs. Pashkovska is survived by her husband, Oleg, and their two sons, Markian, 13, and Vitaly, 11

“It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we come to you to share the devastating news of the unexpected loss of a beloved member of our community,” family friend Alena Chouvaeva wrote to a GoFundMe founded to support Mrs. Pashkovska’s family.

‘At mid-morning on Tuesday she went swimming at Pebbly Beach and encountered unexpected, violent surf and difficulties in the water, even though she was a competent swimmer.

“Yuliya… had always gone above and beyond for her patients, colleagues and the wider Illawarra community. She always dedicated her time and care to others.”

Ms Pashkovska worked as a nurse at Wollongong Hospital and ‘dedicated her time and care to others’. the Illawarra community.

Margot Mains, chief executive of the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, expressed her sadness at Ms Pashkovska’s sudden death.

“The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District was shocked and saddened to learn of the death of much-loved nurse Yuliya Pashkovska at Wollongong Hospital,” Ms Mains said in a statement.

One of the surfers who pulled her out of the water, Tim, told the ABC that he was staying at a nearby accommodation when a woman knocked on his door to say a swimmer was in trouble

“I ran to the beach with my brother and dad, and my dad’s boarding house,” he said.

“It took me ten to fifteen minutes to paddle out to her.”

The location of Pebbly Beach in NSW

Officers from the South Coast Police District will prepare a report for the coroner.

Ms Pashkovska’s death marks the 40th coastal drowning in the state this year.

This follows two years of increased drowning rates, with 48 deaths between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023, and 52 people dying in the same period between 2021 and 2022.

The NSW Government will convene an expert roundtable bringing together rescue groups, government agencies, water safety experts and NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib to plan a response to the alarming statistics.

Participants will discuss the latest research on beach safety, how messaging can target the most at-risk communities – such as culturally and linguistically diverse groups – and explore whether more resources should be deployed at unpatrolled beaches where several deaths have occurred this summer.

In January, 39-year-old Michael Sneddon, a Central Coast resident and father of six, drowned at Ettalong Beach – an unguarded beach near Woy Woy – while trying to save his son from a rip.

Ms Pashkovska’s death marked the 40th coastal drowning in the state this year (photo is Pebbly Beach)