Aussie Ironman found dead

A 19-year-old who went missing while competing at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships in Queensland after being swept off his surf ski on Friday (AEDT) has died.

The event was canceled for the day as officials frantically searched for the missing Queenscliff athlete at Kurrawa, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

The man was pulled from the surf about 12:45 p.m. (local time) and paramedics were working on resuscitating the man, Sky News Australia reported, however he was not able to be revived.

The teenager was contesting a heat of the under-19 Ironman race when he was swept off his ski by the big waves at around 11:30 a.m.

Spectators were ordered off the beach and up to 10 inflatable rescue boats and three jetskis were scouring the rough seas.

The tough conditions had already seen the under-17s race shifted to North Kirra due to safety concerns.

A strong rip is running along the water's edge about 10 meters (33 feet) out from the sand at Kurrawa.

Weather forecasters are predicting even bigger seas off the Queensland coast for the weekend due to Cyclone Ului.

The sport of Ironman combines the four main disciplines of surf lifesaving into a single race; swimming, board paddling, ski paddling and running.

A surf ski is a long, narrow, lightweight kayak with an open (sit-on-top) cockpit, usually with a foot pedal-controlled rudder.