A surfer has been stabbed and killed at a popular beach on NSW’s mid north coast.
A witness on his way to the gym found the injured man in a carpark at a Coffs Harbour beach at about 6.40am on Thursday, and called emergency services.
Chief Inspector Detective Guy Flaherty said paramedics treated the 22-year-old man for “significant” stab wounds to his body, before he was taken to Coffs Harbour base hospital in a critical condition, where he died a short time later.
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“He was found at the side of his orange ford sedan, we believe he had recently come out of the surf and was wearing a black wetsuit and using a small, short board surfboard,” Flaherty said.
A heavy police presence attended the scene, with emergency services, including SES personnel, scouring the beach and surrounding areas for evidence.
“Police have established strike force Kooringaroo and urge anyone who may have had their cars broken into at the (beach) carpark between 6am and 6.30am or had confronted anyone in the area to contact police,” Flaherty said.
“Investigators think the person responsible may have travelled back from the carpark towards the creek and bridge area (near the beach).“