Police divers have recovered the body of a 33-year-old Taiwanese man who went missing on Christmas Day while swimming at Black Diamond Lake near Collie in south-west Western Australia.
The man was at the lake with his partner and friends before entering the water about 1:30pm for a swim.
He was noticed missing an hour later, but after the group searched and failed to find him, they alerted police.
Officers from Collie, and members of the public on paddleboards, searched for the man in the lake, while a police helicopter provided aerial support.
As the search resumed on Monday, Acting Senior Sergeant Alan Dean said divers had located what they believed to be a body.
That was confirmed at 3pm when the man's body was recovered from the lake.
Partner, friends 'devastated' by tragedy
Acting Senior Sergeant Dean said the man's partner and friends were "devastated" by the tragedy.
"They were swimming and, unfortunately, the gentleman got into some trouble while he was swimming and never made it to shore," he said.
"It is tragic ... it's a terrible time for this type of thing. There's never a good time for it."
The man was described as being an average swimmer, but had swum from one side of the lake to the other and was on his way back when the party lost sight of him.
Acting Senior Sergeant Dean thanked the members of the public who had assisted in the search.
"For those [who] did offer their help and assistance, we are greatly appreciative," he said.
"They made our job a lot easier in covering such an area so quickly. The response from the public was fantastic."
Warning issued for festive break
He also issued a timely warning about the hot weather forecast for the remainder of the Christmas break.
"This time of the year, when it is a bit warmer, we do see a lot of people on the lakes and dams, [so] we just want to remind people to take extra care, be mindful of their own swimming ability, show a little bit of caution when they're in these bodies of water and look after each other," he said.
Black Diamond Lake is in Allanson, a town on the banks of the Collie River about eight kilometres west of Collie.
It has become a tourist hotspot in recent years thanks to its clear blue water, which is popular with Instagram users.
The lake is an abandoned mine site that was decommissioned in the 1950s.
Some visitors, such as Mark Brinkworth, would like to see the popular Collie swimming spots made safer.
"A lifeguard would be great, but there's no way to police it. The area is so big and there's so much going on, it's just nearly impossible to police," he said.
The Collie River Valley website says swimming in the lake is permitted but, because of the site's past use as a mine, the water has a "low pH level" and "those with sensitive skin should limit their exposure to the water".
The website also says "the water in places is very deep and can be very cold".
