Police from Tweed/Byron Local Area Command are still searching for a woman they believe did not return from a late-night swim at Byron Bay on Saturday.
Echonetdaily contributor Melissa Hargreaves was at Byron for the eclipse of the moon.
‘A friend of mine saw a girl go skinny dipping and assumed she was with the group of people near her, she told Echonetdaily last night.
‘My friend came back to join us at the Beach Hotel until it finished up, when we ventured onto to the beach to watch the eclipse [about an hour later]. The girl’s clothes were still near the rock.
‘The police were called and they spent ages driving up and down the beach and shining floodlights into the surf.
The search continued yesterday, with a helicopter and surf life savers joining foot patrols of local beaches but at dusk the missing swimmer had not been sighted.
There have still been no reports of anyone missing, and police are appealing to the public for information about any missing residents or visitors. They have not ruled out the possibility that the woman misplaced her clothes in the dark and left the beach without them. But they are concerned that she may have drowned.
Anyone with information should contact Byron Bay Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
