Swimmer drowns at Murrumbidgee River at Pine Island
- The young man was swimming with friends and family
- He got into trouble in the water
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A young man tragically drowned while swimming in the Murrumbidgee River with his friends and family as witnesses were left shocked by the incident.
The 21-year-old man got into trouble in the water on Sunday afternoon before emergency services received a call for help around 6pm.
Police found his body about two hours later at the popular swimming spot Tuggeranong, near Pine Island, in the south of Canberra.
No one was injured and the incident is not considered suspicious.
ACT Police are continuing to investigate the incident.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Several visitors, who were swimming in the area at the time, are shocked by the incident.
The 21-year-old man got into trouble in the water on Sunday afternoon before emergency services received a call for help around 6pm (photo stock image)
Christina Giorgio said she feared the worst and said the man may have been underwater for several minutes.
“I heard a man shouting from the water and saying, ‘Drowning,’” Ms. Giorgio told police ABC.
Ms Giorgio said another man jumped into the river in an attempt to save the young man’s life, but could not see him in the water.
She said he asked witnesses for a knife in case he managed to catch something.
Emergency responders ordered the other swimmers to leave the scene as officers began searching for the man.
Ms Giorgio, who regularly swims in the river, said there was nothing unusual about the conditions in the water at the time the man got into trouble.
The latest incident marks the second death in rivers in Canberra this year, after a 23-year-old man died in the Murrumbidgee near the Uriarra Crossing in February this year.
Authorities have since urged swimmers to be aware of the dangerous conditions in the inland waters.
Strong moving currents, changing temperatures and hidden objects beneath the water’s surface can increase the risk of swimming in rivers.
General Manager of Drowning Prevention and Education Craig Roberts said they should always check conditions before entering the water.
“If you are going to a location where there are no lifeguard services it is very important that you check the conditions beforehand,” Mr Roberts said.
“A simple thing is to throw a stick into the river and know how far it flows.”