A police officer has been killed after being sucked underwater during a guided canyoning tour north of the Blue Mountains.
NSW Police officer Senior Constable Kelly Foster, 39, was identified in a statement as one of two women who died after disappearing underwater during a guided canyoning tour north of the Blue Mountains on Saturday afternoon.
Senior Constable Kelly Foster was killed after being pulled into a whirlpool.
Police divers recovered their bodies in a whirlpool on Sunday and NSW Police confirmed Senior Constable Foster, who had most recently been stationed at Lithgow Police Station, was one of the two women.
"She was a well-respected and well-liked member of the police force," said NSW Police Chief Inspector Peter Schienflug from Mount Wilson and Mount Irvine rural fire brigade station, where search crews had established forward command.
"It's a tragedy for both families and their extended families including the work family, so a small station where you work with the same people more frequently there's probably a tighter bond and it's going to hurt," he said.
The other victim is believed to be an international student, 24, from Chiswick. She is yet to be formally identified and police are waiting for confirmation that family members have been notified.
Initial reports from witnesses indicate the younger woman was tipped off her inflatable lilo when it was swept into a whirlpool, NSW Police said.
The two women were feared drowned after a widespread search, which began at about 2:30pm on Saturday, was suspended due to poor weather conditions at about 6pm on Saturday night.
In an earlier statement, police said the two women were with a larger group that was canyoning in the area when they were sucked into the water.
The search resumed at 7am on Sunday, and concluded at around midday, when the bodies were discovered. Arrangements were made to recover the bodies via helicopter.
The other members of the group were not injured and were assisted by police, paramedics and other emergency services personnel at the scene.
John Buckley is an Editorial Assistant at The Sydney Morning Herald.
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2021-01-03 02:51:00Z
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