The man who drowned at a newly opened inland ‘beach’ spent his last moments holding his son above water, it has been revealed.
It has been a horror festive period for drownings in NSW with four confirmed deaths and two people missing.
Seti Tuaopepe is being remembered as a kind and gentle family man following the tragedy at Penrith Beach in Sydney‘s west on Boxing Day.
Mr Tuaopepe, who is in his 30s, had been paddle boarding with his children when they fell into the water.
It is understood Mr Tuaopepe held his three children above water until a rescuer arrived at 2.35pm on Tuesday, but was unable to save himself.
Seti Tuaopepe has been identified as the man who drowned at Sydney’s Penrith Beach on Boxing Day
Penrith local John Savill said he talked to Mr Tuaopepe just 10 minutes before he disappeared in the water.
‘He had the same stand-up paddle board as me,’ the shaken Mr Savill said.
‘I headed out (into the water) with my children and we weren’t in the swimming area and he (the man) attempted to do the same thing.
‘He had his three kids, I think they were all around 10 years old, a year or two either side of that.’
Mr Savill said all four were sitting on the paddle board when they fell off into the water and ‘panicked’.
‘None of them could swim and the kids started panicking and pushing him under,’ he told the Daily Telegraph.
‘By the time I got there we got all three kids onto the paddle board and he was less than a metre away from me and then a second later he had disappeared.’
The inland ‘beach’ which only opened last week was closed immediately after the tragedy
Mr Savill said he was joined by a group of around 12 people in the water searching for the missing father before emergency services arrived.
‘Once I got the kids on the board, I pushed them towards my father-in-law and he took them to the beach and I went back searching for the guy,’ he said.
‘He was literally less than a metre from me and I thought, do I get him or the kids first, while also worrying about my kids.’
‘Our deepest condolences are with them during this sad time. I was just doing what anyone would have done in the circumstances.’
As the desperate search got underway the beach was closed.
The extensive search effort for the drowned man included police divers and a helicopter
NSW Police divers and a Toll rescue helicopter were called in as part of the extensive effort.
Mr Tuaopepe’s body was found about 6.15pm, about four hours after he went missing.
There has been an outpouring of grief for Mr Tuaopepe, who grew up in Samoa, studied in New Zealand and moved to Australia for work.
‘You were kind, silent and a very gentle classmate,’ one friend wrote on Facebook.
‘You were a family man … condolences to your wife, children and family. Rest in peace and in the loving arms of our Lord.’
Penrith beach officially opened last week, immediately gaining the nickname Pondi after the famous eastern suburbs Bondi beach, and received mixed reviews from visitors.
Canadian grandfather Ron Brean, 79, was pulled from the water at Copacabana Beach in the state’s Central Coast on Christmas Day after being caught in a rip with his two grandsons.
Canadian grandfather Ron Brean, 79, (pictured left) died on Christmas Day after being pulled from the water at Copacabana Beach on NSW Central Coast
Volunteer surf lifesavers and paramedics tried to save him, but he was declared dead at the scene.
Also on Christmas Day a surfer was pulled unconscious from the surf near Umina Beach on the NSW Central Coast.
Despite the CPR being given he died at the scene.
Meanwhile a 33-year-old man died and a woman is in a critical condition after four people were pulled from the water at Stockton Beach near Port Stephens north of Newcastle on Wednesday afternoon.
Khattab Abu Haish, 19, entered a rip to save his two younger brothers on Boxing Day but was carried out to sea at Congo Beach near Moruya in southern NSW
Emergency services were called the beach just after 2.40pm, according to a report by Nine news.
Another man was taken to hospital in a stable condition, while the fourth male swimmer was treated by paramedics at the scene.
The search is still on for 19-year-old Khattab Abu Haish who was overcome by a rip when he went into the water to save his two younger brothers at Congo Beach near Moruya in the state’s south on Tuesday.
A land, sea and air search resumed to find the missing teen on Wednesday morning, involving police and surf lifesavers.
The search is expected to resume on Thursday.
Another man remains missing since Christmas Eve, following reports of he disappeared from Main Beach at Lennox Head south of Byron Bay.
Emergency crews received a call about 3.20pm on Christmas Eve but were unable to locate him.