Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Australia. Photo: Getty.
A 35-year-old Irish man is reported to have died at a beach near the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
The man died at the popular Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island around 11am on Wednesday morning, ahead of New Years’ celebrations getting underway.
Emergency services were called to the scene after the man was found unresponsive in the water on the morning of New Year’s Eve, local news outlets report.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said it is aware of the incident and “stands ready to provide consular assistance”.
The man is among a number of people who have died in separate incidents off the Australian coast in recent days.
Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Australia. Photo: Getty.
News in 90 Seconds – January 1st 2026
A young woman died after being swept into the ocean from the waters of Marouba Beach in Sydney during the early hours of New Year’s Day.
Officers attached to Eastern Beaches Police Area Command were told a 25-year-old woman had been hit by a wave knocking her into a tidal rock pool before further waves swept her out into the ocean.
Her body was located at around 5am on New Year’s Day.
Separately, a 45-year-old woman died at Dunbogan Beach later that day after getting into difficulties in the water, with New South Wales (NSW) police confirming that inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident have begun.
The woman died after being pulled from the water. She was treated by paramedics at the scene but could not be revived, a statement from NSW police said.
It comes as a number of other people were reported missing in separate incidents off the Australian coast, including a teenage boy who was on board a dinghy that overturned near Sydney’s northern beaches on New Year’s Eve.
A man believed to have been on board the boat died at the scene near Palm Beach, while another man was hospitalised.
Just after 6am this morning, a separate search began to locate a swimmer in his 20s who was believed to be missing in the water off the coast of Coogee Beach.