Australian Father of 6 Drowns Trying to Save Son From Rip Current

A father of six died while trying to rescue his 10-year-old son on a beach in Australia.

Michael Sneddon was about 50 yards offshore with his son, Cody, at Ettalong Beach when they got caught in a rip current, according to NCA NewsWire.

Sneddon attempted to keep his son above water before beachgoers brought the two to shore on two jet skis.

But emergency crews were unable to revive the father when they got to shore.

His mother, Lilian Sneddon-Camilleri said Michael was a “caring father” and “loved his son and his girls.”

She added, “Michael was a hero to me. He was always helping people and he was a good kid at school.”

Camillieri urged people not to swim at unsupervised beaches. “I don’t want other people to go through this,” she said.

A statement from the family thanked emergency services and beachgoers who helped in the rescue.

“The Sneddon family would like to say thank you to everyone who was first on the scene and thank you for saving Michael’s son,” it read.

Surf Lifesaving NSW, which provides safety and first aid services on beaches in the region, said it had conducted 874 rescues between Dec. 23 and Jan. 7, a time when beaches are filled with people on Christmas holiday.