Emergency services are continuing their search to retrieve the body of a 14-year-old boy missing off Flynns Beach.
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The boy was swimming with two friends when all three got into difficulty at the popular beach on Saturday afternoon.
Mid North Coast Local Area Command’s Inspector Guy Flaherty said the extensive land, sea and air search was concentrated between Oxley Beach and Shelly Beach.
Insp Flaherty said surf conditions were mostly onshore and he was confident the retrieval phase of the operation would be successful.
Emergency services conducted a second dye test which showed that current and wave conditions were relatively close to shore.
“This is still a retrieval operation,” the Inspector said.
“The three swimmers were outside the flagged area at Flynns Beach when they got into some difficulty. Patrolling surf life saving members were able to reach two of the swimmers – one of which was taken to hospital in a serious condition.
“Unfortunately, the third member of the group could not be reached.
“Volunteers converged on a spot some 200 metres south of the clubhouse and 100 metres offshore after a sighting at around 4.30pm.
“However, due to the prevailing conditions, that retrieval was unsuccessful.”
Port Macquarie and Tacking Point surf life saving club members, along with Mid North Coast branch volunteers, SES, Marine Rescue Port Macquarie, police and other volunteers are involved in the search.
Meanwhile, a report will be prepared for the Coroner after the death of a woman following an incident at a beach at Coffs Harbour.
About 5.40pm on Sunday, a family of five were at Diggers Beach when they got into trouble as a result of a strong current.
After members of the public assisted the family back to shore, a 49-year-old woman from the family became unconscious.
Emergency services were contacted with family and police attempting to resuscitate the woman, a UK National, before she was conveyed to hospital where she was pronounced deceased.
Police from Coffs/Clarence Local Area Command are investigating the incident.