Distraught father fled Taliban before son was lost at sea off Parsons Beach

The heartbroken father of a teenager lost at sea off the SA coast says he risked his family’s lives to flee the Taliban, only for tragedy to strike in Adelaide.

• Teen’s body found by police rescuers
• Teen caught in rip off Parsons Beach
• Surfer saves man from drowning at Parsons Beach

Father of six Charman Yari risked his life to escape war-torn Afghanistan and save his family from the threat of kidnap and death.

But in a tragic twist less than a year since his wife and children safely set foot in Australia, his “lovely boy” Arash Yari vanished from a dangerous surf beach on the South Australia’s South Coast.

His body was found by police rescuers this morning.

Mr Yari, who lives with his family in Melbourne’s west, had vowed to maintain a seaside vigil until his son was found.

“I saved my family from the Taliban but I lost one here,” a devastated Mr Yari told The Advertiser yesterday.

A heartbroken Charman Yari (middle) is led away be friends at Parsons Beach on Thursday. Picture: AAP/MIKE BURTON

Struggling to cope with his son’s split-second disappearance on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Yari said it was difficult to understand why the 17-year-old would swim off rocks at the Fleurieu’s Parsons Beach when he was “frightened of water”.

“He was a very lovely boy, he was my son, my friend, he was my heart, he was my life,” Mr Yari said.

The 50-year-old, who worked as an interpreter for US troops before fleeing his home country in 2010, said the Taliban threatened to harm his family over claims he was “helping infidels”.

Terrified his family could be killed, Mr Yari sought refuge in Victoria and worked tirelessly to bring his wife and children to Sunshine West, about 15km west of Melbourne, last year.

Life in Australia had been full of laughter and precious memories until a panicked phone call brought it all crashing down.

Arash Yari’s family wait on the shoreline for news. Picture: AAP/Mike Burton

“I will stay here (on the cliffs at Parsons Beach) until I get my missing boy. Please, I beg you to help us,” Mr Yari vowed on Thursday.

“We will make our camp here and I will stay with all my family here until I get him back.”

Arash was fishing with 20-year-old Norwegian friend Nimatllah Rafiq Ali when the pair decided to go wading in the water and were hit by a wave off Parsons Beach about 12.30pm on Tuesday.

The talented soccer player had been in good spirits and was excited to start Year 12 at Sunshine Secondary College West Campus in two weeks.

But just seconds after wading into the water the pair were suddenly sucked out to sea in a fierce rip.

Arash Yar, 17, of Victoria, drowned at Parsons Beach near Waitpinga. Picture: Supplied

A man known to the boys jumped in to help but became caught in a rip himself.

He was eventually rescued by surfer Gethyn Singleton, 51, about 600m offshore at nearby Waitpinga Beach.

Mr Singleton arrived at the shore with the man after 40 gruelling minutes.

Mr Ali managed to swim to shore but Arash was lost at sea.

As police divers trawled up and down the coast during yesterday’s search, Mr Yari watched videos of Arash dancing with his sister on Father’s Day last year. “They baked me a surprise cake, it was a good day,” he said.

Mr Yari also watched videos from a recent family trip to MacKenzie Falls in the Grampians, where Arash could be seen smiling with siblings.

Flanked by more than 10 family members who made the mercy dash from Melbourne to Adelaide, Mr Yari said: “I will stay he until I get my missing boy”.

Yesterday’s search was hampered by rough conditions, and poor visibility plagued divers as waves crashed hard into rocks where Arash was last seen alive.