8:45am, Sunday 12: The search for a missing swimmer off Somerset Beach in Tasmania’s north-west is continuing this morning after efforts failed to locate her yesterday.
THE LATEST ON THIS STORY: Missing 22yo Tasmanian swimmer ‘unlikely to have survived’, Police say
The 22-year-old woman was last seen 18 hours ago, ‘struggling in strong currents’ while swimming around 2pm on Saturday afternoon.
Divers are expected to enter the water in the coming hours following extensive searches by rescue helicopter, drone and surf lifesaving boats yesterday.
Tasmania Police Inspector Adrian Shadbolt told Pulse the woman had entered the water with another woman, understood to be her sister, and a 9-year-old boy.
Both made it out after being swept a “reasonable distance” down the beach, however the 22-year-old remains missing.
9pm, Saturday 11: Police have paused search efforts for the night, more than 7 hours after the missing swimmer was last seen.
Approximately 28 people from Police, TasPorts and Surf Life Saving Tasmania worked in the search for the 22-year-old today, with efforts to resume on Sunday morning.
Police Inspector Adrian Shadbolt told Pulse visibility was “very good” during today’s search and he hopes conditions will remain the same tomorrow – hopefully leading to a result.
“A lot of people, including volunteers, are investing a lot of time and effort into [the search] and I’m really grateful for that,” he said.
6:45pm, Saturday 11: Search and rescue teams are continuing to scour the water off Somerset Beach in Tasmania’s north-west as efforts to locate a missing swimmer continue.
It is understood that the woman was swimming with a 9-year-old boy and another woman, both of whom got caught in a rip but managed to escape.
Police say the 22-year-old missing woman was last seen ‘struggling in strong currents’ around 2pm.
Tasmania Police Inspector Adrian Shadbolt said the swimmers had been swept a “reasonable distance” down the beach.
He said they had entered the water to the west of the Somerset Surf Life Saving Club and had ended up on the eastern side of the Cam River.
Multiple search and lifesaving boats, the Rescue Helicopter and a drone remained at beach on Saturday evening, with police divers also making their way to Somerset from Hobart.
Anyone with information or who observes anything along the shoreline between Somerset and Cooee is urged to contact Tasmania Police on 131 444.
5:30pm, Saturday 11: Search and rescue teams are continuing to scour the water off a beach in Tasmania’s north west as the search for a missing swimmer continues.
The rescue helicopter, alongside police and surf lifesaving teams, remain at Somerset Beach west of Burnie as the search for the young woman enters its third hour.
Police say the woman in her 20s was last seen “in difficulty in strong currents” off the beach around 3pm on Saturday.
Earlier: An urgent search mission has been launched for a missing swimmer on Tasmania’s North-West Coast this afternoon.
Police say the woman in her 20’s became stuck in strong currents near the Cam River at Somerset around 2pm.
Police, Surf Life Saving and the Rescue Helicopter are currently searching the water for the young woman.
