Irishman drowns on Australian trip

AN Irishman in his 20s drowned while on holiday in north east Australia yesterday.

The accident happened around 6.30am Irish time when the 28-year-old man went for an afternoon swim at the apartment complex in Gold Coast where he was staying with a group of friends.

The Department of Foreign Affairs had not received an official report of the tragedy last night but local reports suggested the man was from Kilkenny and was part of an eight-strong group which arrived in Australia on December 5.

After spending the first 10 days travelling up the east coast, they had been in Gold Coast the country's sixth largest city for three days and were staying at the Copa Cabana apartments in the suburb of Surfer's Paradise.

It was around 4.30pm local time when the man, said to be from a prominent farming family, went for a swim. It was reported that the group had been drinking but it is not clear if the deceased had drank any alcohol.

He was said not to be a strong swimmer and his friends found him floating unconscious. Efforts to revive him at the scene were unsuccessful.