Boy missing, families torn apart as drowning toll jumps to six
THE beachside vigil of a mum hoping her son would be found alive after he disappeared in the surf at Maroubra, became too much as she collapsed crying yesterday. The search is expected to resume today.
NSW
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THE beachside vigil for a mother hoping her teenage son would be found alive after he disappeared during a night-time swim became too much yesterday as she collapsed after crying out: “I just want my boy back.”
The chances of finding Tu’ipulotu “Tui” Gallaher, 14, alive grew slimmer by the hour last night after he and his cousin George made the fateful decision to go for a night-time swim at Maroubra Beach at 8.30pm on Tuesday. A 26-year-old man who saw the pair in distress managed to save George but when he went back for Tui he was gone.
An extensive air and sea search was suspended last night and is expected to resume this morning.
Tui’s mother was treated by paramedics when she collapsed after talking to police. Distraught, she walked a few metres towards the water and fell in the sand. “I just want my boy back,” she had earlier told a local resident.
Seven people have drowned since Sunday as authorities urged swimmers to be careful as temperatures soar into the high 30Cs today.
Tui’s aunt said the family was “hoping and praying for a miracle”.
“It is hard not knowing where he is. I can’t imagine what his mother is going through right now and my brother who is currently in Tonga for a family reunion as well as a school jubilee. This is a horrible situation for any parent,” she said.
“Maybe he can still be found alive and, well, maybe this is just us in denial again but we can’t give up hope.”
One of Tui’s cousins said Tui often looked after their grandmother and was really good at rugby.
“He has lots of friends and they all know about what’s going on. They are posting about him and how they need him here with them, that’s how much he meant to everybody,” he said.
Westpac Helicopter Life Saver Rescue CEO Stephen Leahy said yesterday there was still a chance Tui would be found alive.
PUSH FOR MIGRANT SEA SKILLS
EXCLUSIVE Jack Houghton
THE Nepalese community has called for immigrants to undergo mandatory water safety lessons following a horrific Christmas of drownings.
Non Resident Nepali Australia president Surendra Sigdel said he wanted the Australian government to co-fund water safety training for Nepalese immigrants. Five Nepalese tourists have drowned in Australia since Christmas last year, a figure which has devastated the community.
Nepalese man Sujan Adhikari drowned on Christmas Day at Wattamolla Beach and on Boxing Day Sujan Sharma drowned at Kangaroo Valley. Both were students who had poor swimming skills.
Last year 25 foreign nationals drowned in Australia while on tourist and study visas, according to a report by the Royal Life Saving Society. The figure makes up about 10 per cent of all drownings.
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