A young Irish doctor who was drowned off the coast of Australia on Thursday afternoon has been named as Ms Susan Clarke (29). It is understood she is from the north-east.
Ms Clarke was swimming near an island just off the coast of the Queensland capital, Brisbane, with a 30-year-old male friend from Lancashire in England. The two were caught in a rip tide by Main Beach on North Stradbroke Island.
A female friend of the couple, a doctor from Britain, remained on the beach and made attempts to revive them when they were brought ashore by rescuers. She had raised the alarm.
Ms Clarke was a doctor working in Brisbane, as was the British male who died with her.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said the Irish Embassy in Canberra was doing all it could to assist the family. A member of the family is thought to be flying out to Australia.
A Queensland police spokesman said: "Conditions at the time were fairly rough. Although it was a fine day, it was the sort of conditions that only an experienced surf swimmer should have taken on."
