Man drowns trying to rescue teenage son at unpatrolled beach

A man has drowned trying to rescue his teenage son at an unpatrolled beach on the NSW Mid North Coast.
The 14-year-old boy from Wollongong got into trouble while swimming at the river mouth near Urunga, south of Coffs Harbour, at about 11.30am on Sunday morning.
The boy’s 53-year-old father swam out to rescue him but became stranded and drowned.
Surf lifesavers were called from a nearby beach and recovered the man’s body 600 metres out to sea.
State Water Minister Melinda Pavey and her teenage daughter were on surf patrol just two kilometres away when the incident occurred.
They were also called to the scene and helped comfort the boy with Ms Pavey telling Steve Price “he was pale, he was in shock”.
“It’s important to highlight these incidents straight after. You’ve got to talk about it, people have to learn from these things.
“The boy and his dad from Wollongong, up here for the holidays, their lives will never be the same again, just for one simple mistake.”
Click PLAY below to hear the full interview
The incident comes just days after another man drowned on the NSW South Coast on Thursday afternoon.
A 45-year-old man from Mount Colah was pulled from the water at Manyana Beach by a member of the public.
Despite CPR attempts, the man couldn’t be saved.
Image: 7 News