Six drowning deaths as huge waves hit Australian coast

SYDNEY: A fisherman died after being swept off rocks near Sydney on Sunday, stretching the Easter weekend death toll of drownings to six as huge waves battered Australia´s east coast.

Emergency services winched two people from the surf at Wattamolla Beach, but one of them couldn´t be revived, New South Wales Police said in a statement.

The pair had been fishing when swept off rocks on the outskirts of southern Sydney.

The second person, a 14-year-old boy, was in a stable condition in hospital.

It continued a run of fatalities over the holiday weekend, with the search ongoing for two other people still missing in the surf since Friday -- one off Sydney and one off Melbourne.

Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) issued a warning on Thursday that strong swells would create hazardous surf conditions along the coasts of New South Wales and Victoria.

Three people drowned on Friday in New South Wales, while a woman died and a man went missing after they were swept into the sea near Melbourne.

On Saturday, when swells were as high as 3.5 metres (11.5 feet) in some places, a fisherman was swept to his death off rocks in southern New South Wales.

SLSA had released data before the weekend showing 630 people had died at beaches without an active lifesaving service over the last 10 years. Chief executive Adam Weir advised patrolled beaches should be prioritised for safety.