Search for woman swept off rocks at Injidup Beach in WA turns to 'recovery' mission
A search is continuing for a 23-year-old woman who was swept off rocks at a beach in Western Australia's South West, but hopes of finding her alive have faded.
Key points:
- A young woman was swept off rocks at a remote WA beach on Sunday
- The Injidup Natural Spa beach is known for its treacherous conditions
- A 23-year old man died there after being swept off rocks in June
A triple-0 phone call was made at 1:20pm yesterday afternoon after the woman was washed into the ocean at Injidup Beach, south of Yallingup.
Two people who entered the water to help the woman also ended up in distress, but they were able to get out of the water safely.
A marine search and rescue operation was launched, with jet skis, two helicopters and a larger boat looking for the woman.
Police divers were also called in to assist.
A rescue helicopter was later seen winching at least one person to safety.
The search was called off late last night before resuming at first light this morning.
Police later said the search would continue until after dark.
"This person was a non-swimmer, so unfortunately it is a recovery approach," Inspector Steve George said.
It is the same area, about 260-kilometres south of Perth, where a wave washed 23-year-old Singaporean student Heng Yi Goh off the rocks in June.
His body was found almost three weeks later.
The Injidup and Yallingup beaches are known for dangerous surf conditions and their rugged shorelines with large rocks.
The Injidup Natural Spa, on the northern section of the beach where the woman went missing, is a popular tourist attraction.
In 2016, a 25-year-old South West man died after jumping from rocks in the same area.