Tragic way a brave dad died during a Sunday swim – as five lose their lives over the New Year weekend in Australia’s dangerous waters
- Body of 49-year-old father retrieved after attempting to rescue his son
- Man disappeared after diving in to rapids at Wappa Falls on Sunday
- His body was located by dive teams while the boy was saved by onlookers
- He comes fifth person to drown over the New Year’s weekend in Australia
The body of a 49-year-old father has been found after he died trying to rescue his child from rapids at a popular tourist destination.
It was the latest in a string of drownings over the New Year period, after several people drowned over the New Year’s weekend including a seven-year-old boy and a man who died in separate rivers.
The father was reported missing at 2pm on Sunday after disappearing while attempting to save his young son from rising and dangerous waters at Wappa Falls on Queensland‘s Sunshine Coast.
Police confirmed they had located his body later that evening, with the child having been saved by witnesses.
The body of a 49-year-old father has been found after he tragically died attempting to rescue his child from rapids at Wappa Falls (pictured)
Queensland Police district duty officer Brett Young said emergency services attended the scene after onlookers failed to locate the hero father after he dove in.
Tragically just before 6:30pm the man’s body was retrieved from ‘treacherous conditions’ by expert teams.
‘A family and several other civilians were at the waterfall when the young child has gotten into trouble and fallen into the waterfall area,’ he said.
‘The father entered the water to retrieve his young son and unfortunately the father has slipped in the water and not re-emerged.
‘The child was retrieved by other witnesses that saw the event.’
The child was taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital but was uninjured in the incident.
QLD Police district duty officer Brett Young said emergency services attended the scene after onlookers failed to locate the hero father after he dove in (pictured, downstream at Wappa Falls)
Emergency services retried the body of a boy, 15, from the Shoalhaven River near Nowra on Monday after he went missing on New Year’s Eve
Another seven-year-old disappeared after getting into trouble while swimming with four others in the Snowy River in Jarrahmond in Victoria’s East Gippsland at about 6pm on New Year’s Day.
The State Emergency Service and local police frantically tried to locate the boy on Saturday, leaving the little boy’s loved ones to start the new year without him.
A 35-year-old man also lost his life on New Year’s weekend after he and two others got into difficulty in the currents of the Gellibrand River.
Meanwhile emergency services retried the body of a boy, 15, from the Shoalhaven River near Nowra on Monday after he went missing on New Year’s Eve.
The boy and his 16-year-old friend had been playing in the water when they got into trouble at about 6:30pm on Friday.
Divers located his body at 1:30pm on Sunday, with a report now being prepared for the coroner.
The boy and his 16-year-old friend had been playing in the water when they got into trouble at about 6:30pm on Friday
Lifeguards across Australia’s east coast have reported dozens of series issues after a combination of dangerous surf, huge crowds and hot weather cause huge problems.
‘We know that New Year’s Day is often a very tricky day for lifesavers and lifeguards across the state, but today was truly something else,’ Surf Life Saving NSW President George Shales said.
‘The volume of incidents today and the courage and exceptional skill our volunteer lifesavers have shown today has demonstrated just how outstanding the lifesaving community truly is. We have definitely saved multiple lives today.’
Advertisement