Brit dad, 49, feared dead after being swept out to sea while trying to save son, 15, from drowning
A British father is feared to have died after being swept away by huge waves while trying to save his son on the paradise island of Mauritius.
The 49-year-old was attempting to rescue his 15-year-old son from the powerful waves in the Pomponette lagoon on the south coast of the island. Despite his heroic efforts, he disappeared beneath the water's surface.
When the rescue team arrived at 10.15 am local time on a Saturday, they managed to save the boy, but the father was nowhere to be found.
With the British national still missing, concerns are growing that he may have perished.
The police launched an extensive search effort with the assistance of the national coast guard and a police helicopter.
The man, his partner, and their son had arrived on the idyllic island on Friday, March 22, for a week-long family vacation ahead of Easter.
The local weather report had predicted a storm approaching the area over the weekend, which likely caused the large waves that swept the man and his son out to sea.
The forecast had warned of heavy gusts and potentially three-meter waves on Friday, with a heavy swell warning issued on Sunday in case the storm made landfall on the island.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office stated: "We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Mauritius and are in contact with the local authorities."
This incident comes just a day after a British tourist drowned in front of his wife while swimming off a beach in India.
The 72-year-old man passed away on Friday evening at Talpona beach in Canacona, in the western state of Goa.
Police reported that he was swept away by a strong current while swimming with his wife, who had to watch in horror as a lifeguard attempted to revive her husband without success.
The couple alerted lifeguards after encountering difficulty in the water, and both were rescued on jet skis.
While his wife was successfully revived, the British man was pronounced dead after being taken to a nearby hospital.
The couple were frequent visitors to Goa and had been on holiday for 15 days before the tragic incident, according to police.
In another unfortunate event, a British national fell to his death after slipping from a bridge and hitting his head fatally in Australia.
The man, believed to be in his 30s, was reportedly part of a tourist group visiting the Noosa Sound Bridge in Queensland.
Witnesses said the man had been taking turns jumping from the bridge, despite warnings from police not to do so.
After completing one jump, he returned to the bridge for a second attempt. Tragically, he lost his balance while crossing the railing, struck his head during the fall, and was unable to get out of the water.
His friends initiated a frantic search before contacting emergency rescue services at 1 am.
Following a six-hour search, the police were able to recover his body using sonar assistance.
