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Thursday's Final Word
An Australian man has died after being swept out to sea while heroically rescuing a distressed swimmer at a dangerous beach in Bali.
Craig Laidley, 56, was walking on Balian Beach in Tabanan, on Wednesday afternoon when he heard a German swimmer calling for help after being swept away by rough seas.
Mr Laidley jumped into the water and successfully brought the German swimmer to safety, but shortly afterward, he was caught by the current and swept out to sea.
A land and sea search was initiated to locate him, but tragically, his body was discovered on Thursday morning.
Balian Beach, which is about a 90-minute drive from Denpasar International Airport, is a popular beach for tourists.
However, locals warn that it can be very dangerous due to powerful rip currents and big waves.
Craig Laidley (pictured left) has died after being swept out to sea while heroically rescuing a distressed swimmer at a beach in Bali
A desperate search was launched to find him, but tragically his body was found on Friday morning
Witness Wayan Sudarma told ABC that there are no warning signs at the beach, even though it was known to be dangerous.
‘Incidents like this happen often here. About four months ago, a foreigner went missing. He was found dead 4 hours later.
‘In the last five years, there have been five incidents like this.’
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it is providing consular assistance to the family.
