Search for 15-year-old moved to ‘recovery phase’ on Thursday after he went missing at North Avoca Beach on NSW Central Coast on Christmas Eve
The body of a 15-year-old has been found after he was swept off rocks at a popular beach earlier this week, his mother confirmed in a social media post on Friday.
The teenager, Luca Bennett, went missing off Avoca Beach on the New South Wales Central Coast at around 3pm on Christmas Eve.
NSW police said the body was discovered in the water on Friday, with emergency services called to the beach at about noon. Work was being done to recover the body from the water on Friday afternoon.
The aspiring basketballer was one of three teenagers swept from the rocks and into the sea when the group was hit by a wave. Two of the boys scrambled back on to the rocks, before raising the alarm.
Search efforts on Christmas Day involving police, NSW Ambulance, Surf Life Saving NSW, Central Coast Council Lifeguards and a rescue helicopter failed to find him.
Police on Thursday morning said rescue crews had moved “into a recovery phase with resources being scaled back” after receiving expert advice, and the teenager’s parents, Michelle and Jason, had thanked rescue crews and the community for assisting in the search.
In a statement posted to Facebook on Friday afternoon and shared elsewhere, Michelle wrote: “Our beautiful Luca J has been found.
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“Dolphins were circling Nth Avoca rocks since 5am this morning.
“The ocean lifted him up onto the rocks.
“The incredible team from our Surf Clubs, Police and marine rescue, paramedics are retrieving him for us. We can’t ever begin to explain our immense gratitude to them and all of our family, friends and community. We love you !”
Local councillor Jared Wright mourned the “deeply saddening” loss in a statement posted to social media on Friday afternoon.
“A life lost this young is always tragic.”
“In the face of this emergency situation, I have continued to be inspired by the outreach of support and assistance from local residents across the Central Coast,” he wrote, noting a fundraiser in support of Bennett’s parents had already raised more than $80,00.
“Vale Luca Bennett, forever rest in peace.”
