British father, 49, swept out to sea while trying to rescue son from waves on paradise island of Mauritius
26 March 2024, 13:13
A British father is feared dead after being swept out to sea while trying to save his son who went swimming on the island of Mauritius.
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The father, 49, was trying to rescue his son, 15, after he went swimming at the Pomponette lagoon on the island’s south coast.
Lifeguards raced to retrieve the boy at 10.15am local time on Saturday but by the time they got there, his father had disappeared beneath the waves and could not be found.
Two days later the man’s body has not been found and it is feared he did not survive.
The man, his partner and son arrived at the island on Friday for a week-long holiday ahead of Easter.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: "We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Mauritius and are in contact with the local authorities."
Police launched a massive search operation, including the national coast guard and a police helicopter.
A storm had been heading towards the island and it is feared the weather pattern may have contributed to strong swell that swept the man and his son out to sea.
Forecasters had warned of strong winds and possible three-metre waves on Friday and a strong swell warning was put in effect on Sunday in anticipation of the storm hitting.
