A young woman is feared dead after she was caught in a rip at a beach in northwest Tasmania.
The 22-year-old was swimming with her 26-year-old sister and nine-year-old brother at Somerset Beach near Burnie when the trio ran into trouble shortly after 2pm on Saturday.
Her siblings were able to escape the current but she could not.
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A search was paused overnight but resumed on Sunday, with volunteer boats, surf lifesavers, police divers and a rescue helicopter scouring an area of 200 square nautical miles.
The search area has been plotted using local knowledge of currents and data from an ocean buoy.
Tasmania Police Inspector Adrian Shadbolt said the woman was from a local family and described the number of volunteers assisting the search as phenomenal.
“We maintain hope but the sad reality is we are now in a search and recovery operation,” he said.
Inspector Shadbolt said the beach is known for its strong currents and urged swimmers to be aware of local conditions before entering the water.
