Irish man dies in Australia on New Year's Eve

Ellen O'Donoghue

A 35-year-old Irish man has died near the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Emergency services found his body in the water at Whitehaven Beach at 11am on New Year's Eve, Newstalk reported.

His death is the third reported drowning in separate incidents at New South Wales beaches in recent days.

A spokesperson for local life-saving crews has said it marked "a terrible start" to the new year.

The Department of Foreign Affairs told Newstalk that it is aware of the incident and stands ready to provide consular assistance.