A holiday escape turned into a nightmare for the family of 45-year-old Sydney hairdresser and devoted mother, Melissa Austin, when she drowned at Dunbogan Beach on the New South Wales Mid-North Coast on New Year’s Day. Friends, clients, and loved ones are struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of a woman described by many as warm-hearted, generous, and fiercely dedicated to her two young boys.
Melissa Austin was pulled from the water by bystanders at around 2:55 p.m. on Thursday, after she got into trouble in the surf at an unpatrolled section of Dunbogan Beach, south of Port Macquarie. Despite immediate first aid and efforts by NSW Ambulance paramedics and police on the scene, she could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the beach.
The tragedy came just hours after the beloved Sydney business owner and mum had arrived for what was meant to be a restful week-long holiday with her family. Her salon in Berowra Heights, Mel’s Hair and Beauty, shared news of her death in a heartfelt social media message, asking for privacy and compassion as her community reels from the shock.
Tributes have flowed in from all corners of her life. Long-time clients called her “a beautiful person” and “a real hero” for what she meant to her family and friends. One customer shared that Austin had been her hairdresser for years and that her spirit and kindness had touched everyone she met.
Her loss is part of a wider spate of water tragedies that have struck the NSW and Queensland coasts over the New Year holiday period. Across beaches from Sydney’s eastern suburbs to the Mid-North Coast, emergency services have battled dangerous surf conditions that have already claimed several lives and left others missing.
Earlier on the same day, a 25-year-old woman drowned at Maroubra Beach in Sydney after being swept from a tidal rock pool, and a man in his 20s remained missing at Coogee Beach after rough surf pulled him from shore while swimming with friends. In Northern NSW and Queensland, other incidents including a boat capsize and a drowning at Whitehaven Beach have stretched rescue resources and deepened community grief.
Surf Life Saving NSW has urged beachgoers to heed warnings, swim only at patrolled beaches between the red and yellow flags, and respect the unpredictable ocean conditions, especially during peak holiday periods. Their chief executive described the cluster of drownings and rescues over the last few days as “heart-breaking” for families and first responders alike.
As the community mourns, friends and colleagues remember Melissa Austin not just for the tragic way she died, but for who she was in life — a passionate professional, a loving mother, and a deeply cherished friend to many.
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