Father drowns trying to save sons from surf

25.01.2010

A man who drowned in rough seas off the NSW South Coast died trying to save three boys, including his two sons, from a rip, police say.

The 48-year-old man and a number of other people entered the water at the unpatrolled Lake Conjola beach about 7.30pm yesterday when his two sons and a friend "got into difficulties".

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"Two of the boys were brought safely to shore, while the 48-year-old man rescued one of his sons. However, he then apparently got into difficulties and was lost from sight," police said in a statement.

"Board riders began searching the surf until the man was found, shortly before 8pm, and was brought to the beach, where CPR was administered."

He could not be revived.

"It is believed the man is from Newtown in Sydney and was holidaying with his family at the nearby town of Berringer Lake," police said.

The man's identity is yet to be confirmed by police, who will prepare a report for the coroner.

His death follows the deaths of Joseph and Carole Sherry, from Orangeville in Sydney's south-west, who drowned at Ballina on the NSW North Coast while on holiday last week.

Police have issued a warning about the hazards of swimming at unpatrolled beaches.

"Police are advising that people should, where possible, only swim at patrolled beaches and should take care to familiarise themselves with an area before venturing into the surf," police said.

The owner of a caravan park on the lake said he did not encourage guests to swim at the beach because of the rips. 

"It can get dangerous but that's the same with all beaches that are unpatrolled," Allen MacDougall said.

"We encourage people to swim at the lake because it's a lovely, pristine lake and it goes right along the edge of the [Lake Conjola Entrance Tourist] Park."

Mr MacDougall said he had lived in the area for five years and this was the first drowning he had seen.

About 3pm yesterday, a woman had to be revived after getting caught in a rip while swimming with her 12-year-old child at North Broulee near Batemans Bay, the Australian Lifeguard Service (NSW) said.

"The woman was brought to shore by other swimmers and was displaying no signs of life," the service's manager Stephen Leahy said in a statement.

She was revived by rescue crews and then taken to hospital.

The woman had been swimming at an unpatrolled section of the beach, the service said.

AAP and Georgina Robinson