Jona Kinivuwai: Young man who disappeared at Number Sixteen Beach is identified
A swimmer who went missing from a Victorian beach on Sunday has been identified as Jona Kinivuwai, 20.
Mr Kinivuwai was swept out to sea while swimming with two friends at Number Sixteen Beach in Rye on the Mornington Peninsula, 100km south of Melbourne.
His older brother, Joji, said it has been a terrible time for the family.
“He is the youngest of four and we are all very protective of him,” he told the newspaper Herald Sun on Monday.
“When we heard the news last night, we were all going through a really hard time.”
A swimmer who went missing from a Victorian beach on Sunday has been identified as Jona Kinivuwai (pictured)
He said Jonah, whose birthday was on Australia Day, loved sport, especially rugby.
Family members, including Joji, another brother and their father, have remained on the beach since Jonah's disappearance, desperately hoping for good news.
“The police and SES have done a great job and we really appreciate it,” Joli said. “We just want him back with us.”
Bad weather conditions, including strong winds, complicated the search on Monday.
Police said search efforts are being conducted primarily by land and air because conditions are too “treacherous” for water searches.
Emergency services were called to the scene around 7 p.m. on Sunday evening after reports that some swimmers were in trouble.
The two men swimming with Jonah managed to make it back to shore safely and were taken to Frankston Hospital in a stable condition.
The police assume that the men ended up in a crack.
Earlier this weekend, a man drowned while diving in the waters off a nearby pier.
The man, who has yet to be identified, was found at 10am on Saturday by other divers who pulled him ashore at Rye Pier.
Other divers attempted to revive the man, but emergency services arrived shortly afterwards and confirmed he had died.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding his drowning and will prepare a report for the coroner.
Mr Kinivuwai was swept out to sea at Number Sixteen Beach (pictured) in Rye on the Mornington Peninsula while swimming with two friends
Other divers attempted to resuscitate the man, but emergency services arrived shortly afterwards and confirmed he was already dead. A map of Rye Pier is shown
Earlier on Saturday, another man drowned when his boat capsized after being hit by a large wave at Barwon Heads, about 20km south-east of Geelong, Victoria, about 6.50am.
There were two men on the boat, one who was trapped underneath and subsequently drowned and another who was rescued by a jet skier.
The 61-year-old Moriac man was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
A 66-year-old man from Anglesea was pulled from the water by police and pronounced dead at the scene.