Tourists drown, body of kayak rescuer found in separate tragedies​on April 14, 2025 at 9:28 am

The discovery of the body of a man who died while trying to rescue children in a dam has added to a tragic day on Queensland waters.

The man aged in his 60s failed to resurface after swimming out to help two children on kayaks at Tinaroo Dam in Yungaburra, about 70 kilometres south-west of Cairns.

The children made it safely to shore.

The man’s body was located after a search involving water police, a rescue helicopter, swift-water crews and officers on foot.

Support services have been offered to the man’s family, say police, who will prepare a report for the coroner.

In a separate incident, also on Sunday in north Queensland, two people died when they were swept out to sea at Round Hill Head in Seventeen Seventy, sparking a major emergency service response that included a helicopter.

A 46-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy from the UK were retrieved from the water but declared dead, police said.

The third person, a 37-year-old man from Monto, was rescued and airlifted to Bundaberg Hospital for treatment.

“Sunday’s mission was a difficult one,” helicopter service CapRescue said on social media.