Dad drowns while saving son at NSW beach

A FATHER has drowned while rescuing his 13-year-old son from a rip on an unpatrolled beach during a family holiday.

The view from Azure beachfront villas at Boomerang Beach Credit: Debra Solomon

A FATHER has drowned while rescuing his 13-year-old son from a rip during a family holiday on the NSW mid north coast.

The teen was able to reach safety after his father raced to his rescue at unpatrolled Boomerang Beach on Tuesday afternoon.

But the man in his 50s began to struggle and was pulled from the water by members of the public and a former surf lifesaver, who attempted CPR without success.

A father has drowned while rescuing his 13-year-old son from a rip at Boomerang Beach. Picture: Nathan Edwards

It’s the second drowning in 16 days at the beach after the disappearance of a 22-year-old man from Orange, whose body has not been recovered.

NSW Lifesaving manager Andy Kent said the 28 coastal deaths in NSW this year represented a significant spike, which was a worrying sign for lifesavers.

“It’s very sad to see another drowning occur on the NSW coastline, and again at an unpatrolled beach,” he said.

Lifesavers have cautioned holiday-makers against swimming at unpatrolled beaches.

“Many beached are patrolled throughout the school holidays by professional lifeguards and we implore families and holiday-makers to head to one of these locations.”