Madison Tam, 18, disappeared while paddling at Devil's Pool

A teenage girl is the seventeenth person to die at a swimming hole after she was sucked under the water into a tunnel of rocks and vanished.

Madison Tam, 18, disappeared while paddling at Devil's Pool - an off-limits swimming site at Babinda Boulders, south of Cairns, at 3pm on Monday.

The swimming hole is considered haunted and 'cursed' in Aboriginal folklore.

Ms Tam had been swimming in a natural spa called the 'washing machine' with six others before the current pulled her downstream and into the Devil's Pool.

Divers and recovery crews wading through the crystal clear waters could not find the teenager, from White Rock in southern Queensland.

Acting Detective Inspector Jason Smith said the pool's deadly reputation comes from a high concentration of bubbles in the water with no buoyancy.

'The water is much deeper than it appears, it travels at a much faster rate, it has much more energy, than it appears on the surface,' he told The Courier Mail.

He also said the search was difficult due to recent rain.

'It is a distressing event for everybody involved. Her family are devastated.'

Divers and recovery crews wading through the crystal clear waters (pictured) could not find the missing teen

The search ended at 6.30pm on Tuesday and will resume at 7am.

Police remained at the site overnight.

Detective Smith said it was concerning so many people were swimming in close proximity amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He urged people to stay in their homes.

Why Devil's Pool at Babinda Bouders is 'cursed' According to Aboriginal folklore, a young runaway bride who fell to her death at Devil's Pool is the reason so many young men's lives - especially male tourists - have been taken at the site. The legend begins with a young woman named Oolana who married an elder from her own Yidinji tribe. Shortly after they married she fell in love with another man named Dyga from a touring tribe. The two lovers, Oolana and Dyga, ran away from their tribes and fled to what is now known as Devil's Pool where they were captured by the elders. Oolana broke free and leapt into the creek waters calling for Dyga to follow. She hit the water crying out for Dyga which shook the water into action. The land vibrated, sending boulders flying into the creek and causing the water to plunge forward. Legend has it that Oolana’s cries for her lost lover can still be heard and her image appears in the water. Advertisement

Fifteen of the 17 people who lost their lives at the site since 1959 have been men - matching the Indigenous tale.

The last person to die at Babinda Boulders before Ms Tam was Tasmanian man James Bennett in 2008.

His friends claimed the 23-year-old was swimming in the calm waters when he was suddenly pulled backwards by an invisible force towards the rapids at the end of the pool.

The pool was officially declared a no-go zone after Mr Bennett's death with signs telling swimmers about the dangers of the site

He reached for a branch, which snapped, before his head went under.

Witnesses said he struggled once or twice before he vanished.

His body resurfaced three days later.

The pool was officially declared a no-go zone after Mr Bennett's death with signs telling swimmers about the dangers of the site.

It reads: 'This creek has claimed many lives.

'Wet rocks are extremely slippery. Beware of rapidly rising water levels. Do not swim in main creek downstream of this point. This track leads to lookouts only. For your safety keep to walking track provided.'