Emergency services have resumed the search for a man who disappeared in the surf alongside two others on the NSW mid-north coast.
Two men, 35 and 45, drowned off Moonee Beach north of Coffs Harbour on Monday and three teenagers were pulled from the water without serious injury.
However a 28-year-old man has not been found.
Coffs Coast Police Inspector Brendan Gorman said the group, who are believed to be of Indian decent, were a family on holiday.
"This incident is a tragedy," Inspector Gorman said. "It just reinforces to us to always swim at patrolled beaches."
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"Don't overestimate your abilities," he said. "We have a beautiful coastline here, but the ocean is treacherous, and rivers and creeks can change dramatically within hours."
Coffs Harbour City Council lifeguard coordinator Greg Hackfath told Nine News that Moonee Beach is unpatrolled and Moonee Creek which feeds it has a "strong flowing outgoing tide".
He suspected the three teenagers had gone swimming in the creek and got into trouble, prompting the three adults to try to help them.
"We found one of the girls alive, two of the younger teenagers got in by themselves and self-rescued," he said.
"Unfortunately, we found two men that were deceased and yeah, one is still missing out there."
Surf Life Saving is urging people to only swim at parolled beaches, with many now patrolled seven days a week over Christmas.
