Irish man drowns in Sydney’s Darling Harbour

An Irish man drowned last night in Sydney’s Darling Harbour.

Brendan Hickey (34) died after falling into the water from an unfenced area at Cockle Bay Wharf at around 11pm.

Mr Hickey, his girlfriend, Julia Szymanska, and friends were among a large crowd in the popular nightlife area watching a light show.

Police say Ms Szymanska and others dived into the water to try to save Mr Hickey, but he had already sunk too far.

Mr Hickey’s body was found on the harbour floor about three metres out from the boardwalk at around 1.30am this morning (4.30pm Friday Irish time).  Acting Superintendent Joe McNulty of Sydney’s water police said his friends had frantically searched in the water. “It was a tragic and extremely rare incident … His friends have been very emotionally affected by the incident,” said Supt McNulty. “There is no suggestion of skylarking at this stage.”

Supt McNulty said there will be a toxicology report on Mr Hickey’s body.

The extensive search for Mr Hickey involved police officers and divers, a helicopter, Sydney Harbour staff, security from a nearby nightclub and his friends and other onlookers.

The stepfather of a teenager who drowned at the same area two years ago had previously called for fencing to prevent further tragedies. After Gregory Magro's stepson, Jason Daep (19), drowned in Cockle Bay in February 2012, he asked the New South Wales state government to improve safety in the area.  "I was concerned as to how easily someone can fall into the water around Cockle Bay and Darling Harbour," he told the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.

“Some of the bars in the area are only 10 or 12 metres from the water’s edge. I feel there should be a fence to keep adults and children from falling into the water or a net below the promenade to catch people before they enter the water.”

But the state government did not fence the area. “I don’t know what it will take to resolve this situation,” said Mr Magro.