One of Bali’s most popular beaches is the scene of a frantic search after a tourist was swept away during a swim in monstrous surf conditions.

British holidaymaker Harrison Kontounas, 23, from Ilford in east London, was in the ocean with a group of friends at Legian beach on Wednesday when he was caught in the strong current and waves as high as 2.5 metres.

Denpasar search and rescue teams reported that Mr Kontounas was pulled under the waves and did not resurface before the alarm was raised.

“We need help to find our friend dead or alive before it’s too late,” said Freddie Palmer, who was with Mr Kontounas when he went missing.

Mr Palmer claims lifeguards took at least three hours to arrive on the scene and the group had to pay nearly $AU3500 to hire a helicopter to join the search,

See Full Page