Teen rescued from tourist hotspot K’gari after horror New Year’s Eve diving incident

A teenager has been rescued from a popular Queensland tourist hotspot after a horror diving incident over New Year’s Eve, in the first of two urgent emergency operations.

The Sunshine Coast LifeFlight helicopter was dispatched to K’gari, formerly Fraser Island, after a male teenager was injured in an incident at a freshwater lake.

The crew landed on a nearby beach before flying the teen to Royal Brisbane Hospital in a stable condition after being treated for suspected spinal injuries.

The helicopter crew were later sent to another search and rescue operation in Moreton Bay, further south, shortly after 9pm to locate a missing kayaker.

The man was located within 30 minutes by the LifeFlight helicopter and Queensland water police, who were able to transport the man safely by water.

It comes as thousands of people and families across Australia’s east coast flock to coastal areas and inland rivers to cool off for the summer holidays.

A woman who went missing while white water tubing at Emu Creek near Brisbane on New Year’s Eve was found dead after a large-scale search.

Further south, NSW has been rocked by a series of horrific drownings and people missing in water over the Christmas and Knew Year period.