Brother shares how Brisbane resident Jye Mattern got swept off Teewah Beach

The brother of a 21-year-old man swept away while swimming off Teewah Beach has bravely relived the moment the former lifeguard was lost, warning of the unpredictable stretch.

Friends and family say Jye Mattern was the “nicest and funniest” person. Picture: Supplied.

The brother of a 21-year-old former lifeguard who was swept away at Teewah Beach and never found has bravely relived the tragedy as he warns others of the treacherous stretch.

Brisbane man Jye Mattern was swept away off the popular beach about 5pm on January 21, triggering a large-scale search including helicopters and jet skis over five days.

His brother Zac has opened up about the tragic events that unfolded during what was meant to be a fun camping trip.

He said he, Jye and three friends were “super excited” to escape the city.

Zac said they set up camp before and he and Jye – a good, confident swimmer who loved waves – jumped into the water.

Zac said they spotted three rips nearby and got out, walked 200m north and returned to the water with body boards.

Brothers Zac Mattern, 18, and Jye Mattern, 21. Photo: supplied.

But he said they soon got dragged out and “pummelled by 3-4m waves”, causing them to both lose their boards.

Zac said they were left exhausted and treading water about 500m from the shore.

He said his brother, a former lifeguard, told him he felt a sting on his shoulder and neck area. He said his arms seized and legs went numb.

Zac said Jye “pushed through so much pain”.

While Zac made it back to shore, Jye was still in the water as friends rushed to a sandbank about three metres away.

“He was three metres from making it to shore,” he said.

Brothers Zac Mattern, 18, and Jye Mattern, 21. Photo: supplied.

The younger brother, exhausted, said he then saw Jye for the last time as he watched a wave take him, saying he “went straight under and got sucked to the bottom.”

Within the first hours of emergency services beginning their search, Zac said he “lost hope very quickly”.

“They weren’t going to find him,” he said.

Zac said he and his brother were inseparable since childhood, describing him as the funniest and nicest person.

“There was nobody else close to what he was like,” he said.

He said they shared a love for the gym and both wanted to become online content creators.

Zac said he wanted to raise awareness of the unexpected, hidden dangers of the ocean, especially given his brother was a former lifeguard of two years.

“The water is super unpredictable,” he said.