The distraught family of an 11-year-old boy feared to have drowned after he was swept out to sea have thanked the community as the search was suspended for a second night.
The boy had been with his father, 43, and younger brothers aged nine, seven and three, on a fishing trip at The Entrance on the NSW Central Coast on Sunday.
It is understood the boy was walking with a camp chair on his back as the family crossed a notorious channel, reported The Daily Telegraph.
Witnesses recalled seeing the father help his youngest boys across the channel as his eldest son walked behind them before he was swept into the ocean by the strong tide.
It is not known whether the missing boy could swim.
‘We heard yelling out and looked over and saw a man rushing through the water,’ Sarah Bailey told 7 News.
‘And then we noticed a little boy in the waves with his arm up.
‘He was really struggling.’
The distraught father is seen embracing his youngest son shortly after his eldest was swept out to sea on Sunday afternoon
The extensive search and rescue operation (pictured) was suspended just after 4pm on Monday but will resume at first light on Tuesday morning
Another witness, Gary Phillis, said the boy ‘was gone in a couple of seconds’ and that his father was ‘hysterical’.
Two bystanders helped look after the the man’s younger children while he frantically tried to rescue his son.
The distraught father was later pictured sitting on the sand hugging his youngest son tight while being consoled.
It’s understood the mother had not gone on the fishing trip but travelled to the Central Coast with family and friends on Monday as the search resumed.
The family said they ‘would like to thank the community, residents and locals’ for the support and assistance during ‘this extremely difficult time’.
Police divers found the boy’s chair, towel and esky before the search was suspended just after 4pm on Monday.
The search will resume again on Tuesday morning.
In a heartbreaking twist, the boy was swept out to sea about less than 20 minutes after lifesaving volunteers had finished their patrols for the day.
The channel at The Entrance is a notorious danger spot as the shifting sands push strong currents out to sea (pictured)
Tuggerah Lakes Inspector David Piddington told media on Monday that NSW Police has a specialist family liaison officer helping the family.
‘The family are very distraught and as I said they are being very well supported by our family liaison officer, chaplains and we will assist them as much as we can,’ he said.
The family are from an Arabic-speaking background, prompting calls for warning signs in multiple languages for those who may be unaware of hidden dangers.
The Entrance Channel is one of the most dangerous locations on the region due to the shifting tides that send strong currents out to sea.
