A 19-year-old male has drowned last night at East Point Reserve after attempting to rescue another male who was struggling in the water.

At around 7.30pm last night, police were called and advised that there were people in the water off East Point Reserve who appeared to be having difficulty swimming.

It is believed that a group of youths were having a party at East Point when a male has entered the water and got into difficulty. Two other males have jumped in to rescue him however one of the rescuers has also got into difficulty.

Police, Fire Service and St John Ambulance attended the scene and rescuers combed the cliff edges with torches in an attempt to locate the missing person, who was found deceased a short time later at the base of the cliffs.

Territory Duty Superintendent Bruce Porter said that this was a sad reminder of the dangers of swimming in rough waters at night.

"This is a tragic incident which could have been avoided. People need to remember the danger of swimming at night, particularly in rough sea areas, such as East Point."

Six people were taken to Royal Darwin Hospital for observation due to their distressed state. Police are continuing an investigation into the death and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Media contact:
Natalie Bell
0889 010280