A 21-YEAR-OLD Brisbane man drowned at Byron Bay’s Tallow Beach beach despite the urgent assistance of several onlookers including a fireman who performed CPR.
Local surfer Anthony Mikellides, 45, said he went to Tallow Beach, Suffolk Park, just after 12.20 pm for a swim and noticed a man was in trouble.
“I grabbed a surfboard and swam out — two girls were out the back keeping him afloat. I got him on the board and brought him to shore and two other guys started doing CPR,” Mr Mikellides said.
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The man was unconscious for 10 minutes in the water, a shaken Mr Mikellides said.
“It took me five minutes to get him to shore and luckily one of the men was a fireman who performed CPR before the ambulance arrived.
“I did the best I could.”
A spokesman for NSW Ambulance said they were called to the beach at 12.20pm and performed CPR but the man was confirmed drowned.
Story by News Ltd’s – JANE JANSEN