Two women who were swept off the rocks at a beach in Sydney’s south were having a picnic before a wave pulled them into the water, drowning them.
Best friends Marwa Hashim and Niersha “Shani” Sulaiman were strolling along rocks on near Cape Solander at Kurnell about 4.30pm on Monday when the accident happened.
They were pulled from the water unconscious and paramedics attempted CPR, but both died at the scene.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today 
A third woman, Hashim’s sister, was also pulled into the water but managed to climb back onto the rocks before being helped by members of the public.
A friend of Sulaiman, Asifa Kader, said more family and friends were on the way to Kurnell to join the women for a picnic before the tragedy unfolded.
She said it was a tragic day for the local community.
Kader said Hashim’s sister, who is currently in hospital being treated for hypothermia, is “inconsolable” about her sister’s death.
“She just wakes up in between and cries … I’m giving all my love to her now,” she said.
“You have no idea how beautiful they are. They were so lively,” Kader said about her two friends who died.
“They were the cheerleaders for the whole girl gang … it’s a big loss for us … I don’t think there are enough people like them.”
Family friend, Asif Mohazim, said he was numb when he heard his close family friends died.
Both of the women were mothers born in India.
Two weeks ago, two fishermen in their 20s died after being swept off the rocks at Kurnell.
Signage on the rock platform at Kurnell warns people on the rocks to wear life jackets.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service said it’s reviewing safety in the area to determine if further measures need to be put in place.
“NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is assisting police and reviewing signage in place at Yena Gap near Kurnell in the Kamay Botany Bay National Park, following yesterday’s tragic deaths,” a spokesperson said.
