Heroic surfer saves man from drowning at Parsons Beach, but 17-year-old boy Arash Yari remains lost after being caught in rip

A heroic surfer saved a drowning man in a gruelling 40-minute rescue but was unaware the foreign father had been trying to save a teenager still lost at sea off the state’s South Coast. The search for the missing boy has now entered its third day.

A heroic surfer saved a drowning man in a gruelling 40-minute rescue but was unaware the foreign father had been trying to save a teenager still lost at sea off the state’s South Coast.

Gethyn Singleton, 51, told The Advertiser how he pulled the fully dressed man, who “had a look of death on his face” from deep water about 600m offshore from Waitpinga Beach on Tuesday afternoon.

Gethyn Singleton at Parsons Beach where he rescued a man from drowning. Picture: AAP / Mike Burton

The man had been carried out to sea after being caught in a strong rip trying to save two boys – one of whom remains missing.

It was not until hours later, because of a significant language barrier, that Mr Singleton realised the man had desperately tried to save 17-year-old Arash Yari before the Victorian boy vanished in the surf just after 12.30pm on Tuesday.

Authorities resumed the search for Arash on Thursday morning after suspending Wednesday’s efforts because of poor weather conditions.

The search for missing teenager Arash Yari was called off on Wednesday due to poor weather conditions. Authorities will resume their search on Thursday. Picture: AAP / Mike Burton

“I was just sitting there in the water and I saw what looked like the wing of a bird a long way out. I could only just see it,” Mr Singleton, of Kensington, said.

“Ten minutes after that a big set came through and as I paddled over the top of it I got higher and I could see.

“I looked to where I saw it and I thought: ‘S..t, that’s a person’.”

Mr Singleton, on his 51st birthday, paddled hard to reach the father and said he would not stop screaming.

“We were in deep water and I thought he was going to drown. He had the look of death on his face,” he said.

“He was exhausted and flipped me off the board. He couldn’t understand anything I was saying. He still had shoes on.”

Mr Singleton was relieved to hit the shore after 40 gruelling minutes and said he was lucky to overcome big waves and cramps from furious kicking.

“I was trying to tell him to put his feet down because it was shallow but he was too terrified,” Mr Singleton said.

But while Mr Singleton’s heroics saved a life, there are grave fears for the survival of Arash.

Arash Yari remains missing.

Nimmatollah Rafiq Ali was with Arash when he was swept into the sea. Picture: AAP / Mike Burton

The talented soccer player was fishing with 20-year-old Norwegian friend Nimatllah Rafiq Ali when they were hit by a wave off Parsons Beach.

Mr Ali, speaking on behalf of Arash’s family, said the pair decided to “freshen up” in the water but were suddenly sucked out to sea.

“Our first initial thought was just to go fishing,” he said. “(But we) just went in the water, not deep. It’s hard to think about it. It’s all black.”

Mr Ali managed to swim back to shore but his best friend was nowhere to be seen. It was then that the father – who was at the beach with his 17-year-old son, Mr Ali and Arash – jumped into the water and had to be saved by Mr Singleton.

“(Arash) was the best person to me,” Mr Ali said.

“We’re all like family. No one can be better than him.”

Family members of the missing boy made a mercy dash from Melbourne to Adelaide on Wednesday to support his distraught parents.

A large group of family camped on the cliff face at Parsons Beach while a police helicopter, Sea Rescue Squadron and other local boats searched the water.

Family members waited on the nearby cliffs as the search for Arash Yari continued. Picture: AAP / Mike Burton

Arash’s mother and sister were taken to South Coast District Hospital after they were overcome with emotion. “It’s been very hard for everybody, especially his family,” Mr Ali said.

“It’s hard me for to go back where it was.”

Surf Life Saving lifesaving duty officer Andrew Bedford said the beach had a nine out of 10 safety-hazard rating.

“It’s a very dangerous beach … a lot of rips, a lot of currents. If you go in the water you will get pulled out fairly quickly,” he said.

“The rips are very strong and you might think you’re going in for a paddle … but you can get in trouble fairly quickly.”

Mr Bedford said Surf Life Saving SA has performed 104 rescues this financial year compared with just 62 in the previous period.

He warned others against swimming at Parsons Beach and encouraged people to prepare an emergency plan before entering the water.