NSW's horrific drowning toll rises to 13 deaths over Christmas holidays

The state's horrific spate of drownings has continued with the holiday toll rising to 13 after a young man died jumping into a rock pool south of Sydney and a swimmer was pulled from a North Coast lake.

On Friday alone, these two men drowned, the body of 14-year-old boy missing for three nights was pulled from the surf at Maroubra Beach and the body of a Victorian man visiting a country town for Christmas was found in a river. 

A 27-year-old Pakistani national drowned at the Mermaid Pools in Tahmoor, south of Sydney, on Friday.  Photo: Channel 7

Just after midday a 27-year-old Pakistani man swimming with mates at the Mermaid Pools at Tahmoor, south of Sydney, jumped off a rock and into the water below. 

Police divers search the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga on Thursday. Photo: The Daily Advertiser

He was spotted waving for help before he went under the surface. He was pulled unconscious from the water and died at the scene. 

About two hours later, a 46-year-old man swimming at Kolora Lake Reserve in Yamba drowned. 

After a two and a half day search, the body of Peter Abd-El-Kaddous was found in the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga Wagga at 2.45 pm. 

Mr Kaddous and his wife, Fleur, had travelled from Melbourne's north to visit her family in the town for Christmas.

Police recovered the body of Mohamed Amine Hamza, 25, who went missing at Bents Basin on Monday. Photo: Nick Moir

A strong current in the river swept Mr Kaddous from sight on Wednesday afternoon. 

While authorities usually brace for a least one drowning over the summer holidays, this year's toll – 13 deaths in the space of five days – is particularly devastating. 

Police recover a body from the surf in the search for Tui Gallaher, 14, at Maroubra Beach on Friday. Photo: Supplied

"It terms of NSW it seems like it's significant compared to previous years," Royal Life Saving Society CEO Justin Scarr said. 

Earlier on Friday, a body believed to be missing Guildford teenager Tui Gallaher was was found floating in the ocean at South Maroubra.

Mother Sandra Tomano is helped by lifesavers into their buggy on Tuesday. Photo: Kate Geraghty

On a day trip to the beach with his family, Tui, 14, and his cousin got into trouble while swimming at about 8.30pm on Tuesday.

Tui's cousin was rescued but Tui disappeared. 

Peter Abd-El-Kaddous went missing while swimming in Wagga. Photo: NSW Police

The string of drownings began on Christmas Day with the death of Nepalese student Sujan Adhikari, 29, at Wattamolla Lagoon in the Royal National Park.

A day later, six people died or went missing in similar incidents around NSW.

Tui Gallagher, 14, went missing in rough surf at Maroubra Beach on Tuesday night. Photo: Facebook

Grandfather Geoffrey Blackadder died trying to save his two nieces from a rip at Wooli Beach, north of Coffs Harbour.

Sujan Sharma, 27, drowned in a river in the Kangaroo Valley, south of Sydney, and Mohamed Amine Hamza, 25, died while swimming with mates at Bents Basin, west of Sydney. 

Weibin Duan, 56, had been visiting Merry Beach at Kioloa with his family when he was found floating and unconscious in the surf. 

Charli Manago, one of two twin toddlers pulled from a backyard pool at Kellyville Ridge on December 20, died in hospital on Boxing Day. Her twin brother, Robbi, died in hospital on Thursday. 

On Monday a man was pulled unconscious from ocean baths at The Entrance on the Central Coast. 

Police are still trying to identify a man, aged in his 60s or 70s, found floating in the surf at Belongil Beach at Byron Bay on Wednesday.

A woman and another swimmer pulled the man's body from the water in the afternoon. An older-style car key found on the beach is one of the only clues police have in finding out the man's identity. 

"There are lots of cars in the car park but we have been unable to determine which one was his," Inspector Greg Jago said. 

"None of the keys fit in the cars there. We have also made inquiries through missing persons units in NSW and Queensland but no similarly described people have been reported missing.