Father drowns while saving son

A family outing at Glenbrook beach ended in tragedy. Photo / Michael Craig

A father gave his life to save his son, holding the boy above his head as he drowned in the sea south of Auckland yesterday afternoon.

The man went to rescue his son and daughter when they got into trouble off Glenbrook Beach, south of Auckland.

He and another man threw themselves into a dangerous current as the children struggled in the waves.

The father reached his children and handed his daughter to the other man, who took her safely to the shore.

When the man returned to the waters, he found the father beneath the surface holding his son above his water.

Inspector Lance Burdett, of the police northern communication centre, said: "When the member of the public returned to assist the father, he noticed the father under the water, holding his son above his head."

The father had drowned but he bought rescuers enough time to save his son.

The other man brought the boy safely to shore, while others pulled the father from the water. They began CPR, desperately trying to save him, but to no avail. Police, fire and Westpac rescue paramedics took over, but the father could not be saved.

Glenbrook Beach resident Jim Coe said the father appeared to be part of a large family group enjoying a day at the beach.

They had been seen swimming in clothes off the end of the boatramp, he said.

"With the tide going out there's a fairly large tidal flow going through there," he said.

"They would have been swimming there and got caught in the current and panicked and couldn't get back."

Mairina Tioata was cutting onions in a neighbouring field.

"I saw police cars and I heard the lady crying," she said. "The ambulance men told me that the father went to rescue the children. I asked how the children were and he said they were okay. The woman cried and cried."

It was the second attempted beach rescue to end in drowning this week, after Jackie Wiki, 55, died at Ninety Mile Beach on Tuesday while trying to save his two grandchildren.

- additional reporting Joseph Barratt