Abin Philip, a diploma student in Brisbane, drowned at Gardener Falls on the Sunshine Coast on Monday.
Mr Philip, who hailed from the South Indian state of Kerala, had been holidaying with two other friends at the popular waterfall in Queensland's southeast.
Mr Philip was not seen after swimming at the waterfall, said Sebastian Sajeesh, president of the Sunshine Coast Kerala Association.
SES received information about a missing person around 3.30 pm on Monday, according to an email reply to SBS Malayalam by Queensland police.
The body was recovered after the police dive squad arrived at the waterfall, the police statement said.
The coroner will prepare a report about the non-suspicious incident, the police added.
Beach safety messaging failing to connect with Australia's migrant communities
Beach safety messaging failing to connect with Australia's migrant communities | SBS News
Community coming to terms with the tragedy
The Malayalam speaking community in Australia is yet to come to terms with Mr Philip's tragic death.
The student's drowning brings swim safety messaging back into the spotlight.
Some in the Malayalee community have expressed a need for more effective methods of reaching new migrants and others at-risk.
“Community organisations around Australia should provide awareness programs for newly arrived migrants and students,” says Shabu Thomas, a Malayalee community member in Sydney.
Aji Edayar, who has been living in Brisbane for 12 years, says it’s imperative that safety warnings be taken seriously.
have pointed out that a high number of drownings in Australia have been from the Indian community.
Several deaths from the international student community have been reported in recent years.
An international student from the Malayalam speaking community drowned on a Perth beach in 2021.
In 2018, a young Indian student died at a Sydney beach.
In that same year there was a report about an international student from South Korea who drowned on the NSW South Coast on Christmas Day.
After several drownings reported among the Nepali community members, there were calls from the community to make swimming lessons mandatory.
'Very loved, very popular'
Mr Philip is remembered as a well liked member of the Sunshine Coast Malayalee community, having served as the international student representative of the local Kerala association.
"Mr Philip will be always remembered as an active member of the Malayalee community," Mr Sajeesh said.
"He was very a loved member of the community and very popular, an excellent football player and also a very skilled photographer who covered many events for the community."
Mr Sajeesh said the Malayalee community is coming together for Mr Philip.
"We are now working on giving him the best farewell possible and helping return the body to the homeland," he said.
The community has started a GoFundMe page to support this cause.
