A heart-shaped floral tribute was left for the boy who died after being trapped between rocks on the NSW Mid North Coast. Photo: ABC Mid North Coast / Nakita Jager
A nine-year-old boy has died after being caught between rocks on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, taking the number of coastal deaths over the Easter long weekend to seven.
Emergency services were called to South West Rocks about 3:30pm on Sunday, following reports a boy was stuck between rocks off the shoreline.
Local police, Fire and Rescue NSW crews and surf lifesavers tried to free the boy from the rocks, but he died at the scene.
A nine-year-old boy died on a popular beach on the NSW Mid North Coast. Photo: ABC Mid North Coast / Nakita Jager
Inspector Peter Walton, from the Mid North Coast Police District, said an investigation into the incident was underway and a report would be prepared for the coroner.
"Indications are it is nothing but a tragic misadventure which has resulted in the loss of a young child and unimaginable grief for the family," he said.
"I can only imagine what the family was going through watching it all unfold ... it was a very difficult situation for all that were there.
"Indications are that he was just playing on the rocks, and probably a number of kids play on those rocks every day."
Inspector Walton said the exact cause of the boy's death was still being investigated.
"Obviously being wedged there with the waves coming in, water may be a factor," he said.
"I'd say be careful and don't go out beyond your means, but obviously kids will be kids and have fun and this is just a tragic situation."
Inspector Peter Walton described the boy's death as a "tragic misadventure". Photo: ABC News
Beach floral tribute for boy
On Monday, visitors to the popular beach made a heart-shaped floral tribute to the nine-year-old.
Among them was Larissa Halls, who has been coming to the holiday destination for 47 years, and told the ABC she often played on the rocks where the boy died.
"Me and my sister spent hours on those rocks, playing, snorkelling and jumping around and over them, the same as what the kids were doing down here yesterday, and never ever thinking that something like this could happen," she said.
Halls said her nephew, who turned nine today, asked to buy flowers and create the tribute.
"He woke up this morning and he said that's what he wanted to do," she said.
"The kids are feeling it too because they're about the same age as that little boy.
"People come here for connection and love and joy with their family, and to hear about and witness such a tragic circumstance is absolutely heart-wrenching and heartbreaking."
'Absolutely horrific' time for coastal drownings
It comes only hours after two people were swept off the rocks while fishing at Wattamolla in Sydney's Royal National Park.
Authorities were called to the scene about 11am on Sunday and found two people floating face down in the water.
The pair were winched to safety, but a man was unable to be revived and died at the scene. He is yet to be formally identified.
The other person pulled from the water was a 14-year-old boy. He was taken to Randwick Children's Hospital but has since been released.
Rescue teams have also resumed their search on Monday for a 24-year-old man who was swept off the rocks by a large wave at Little Bay in Sydney's eastern suburbs on Friday.
Surf Life Saving NSW said it was the "worst" Easter long weekend for water deaths on record, with six deaths in the state and one death in Victoria since Friday.
Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce said it had been an "absolutely horrific" time for coastal drownings.
"It would be the worst Easter drowning toll that we have seen in New South Wales on our record," he said.
"Just the combination of hot temperatures, a long weekend, hundreds of thousands of people going to the coastline and an enormous swell that has impacted the coastline up and down."
-ABC
