Two tourists die snorkelling at Great Barrier Reef
Two French tourists, a man and a woman, have died while snorkelling on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
The elderly pair were found unconscious in shallow water at a popular tourist spot near Cairns in Far North Queensland at about 11:00 local time on Wednesday, police said.
Local reports suggested the man and woman, who were in their 70s, had suffered from cardiac arrests.
They were among a group of 21 French holidaymakers travelling with tour operator Passions of Paradise. They were snorkeling at Michaelmas Cay, about 25 miles from Cairns when first the man was spotted in distress, then the woman.
A lookout pulled the man to the beach where he attempted to resuscitate him and a second lookout on a boat hauled the woman onboard, where he attempted to revive her.
The chief of the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators told the BBC that the pair had indicated that they had pre-existing medical conditions before entering the water and the company had guides swimming around the snorkellers.
Giving his sympathy to the family and friends of the deceased, Passions of Paradise CEO Scotty Garden said in a statement.: "It is very stressful for our staff but their priority has been with helping the group."
The company has taken more than 400,000 snorkellers to the reef since 1989.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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