Sachet Bimali, a 24-year-old international student from Nepal drowned on 4 January while cliff jumping at a popular swimming spot near Sydney.
Emergency services were called to Wattamolla Lagoon in the Royal National Park following reports that two people – a young man and a young woman – were in difficulty after jumping off a cliff into the lagoon. The woman swam to safety, but the man was seen struggling before disappearing beneath the surface.
The area is fenced off to prevent people cliff jumping, and there are signs warning of the dangers. It is reported that Sachet and his companion climbed the fence so that they could leap off the cliff into the water below, something which many thrill seekers do most days in summer.
There is no mobile phone reception in the area, so a bystander had to run to an emergency phone to call Triple Zero.
Police arrived after 5:00pm, and about 6:20pm recovered Sachet’s body. His female friend was treated at the scene by paramedics and taken to hospital in a stable condition.
Drowning risk for international students in Australia
On average three international students drown in Australia each year.
Most recently two close friends who came to Australia as international students drowned on Christmas Day 2020, while swimming at a beach in Victoria. Another international student drowned in a canyoning accident near Sydney on 2 January2021.
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Cover Photo: Melissa Miller, Facebook