The mother of a father-of-six who drowned on a NSW, Australian beach trying to save her child has urged the family not to swim at beaches unsupervised.
Father-of-six and Central Coast local Michael Sneddon was with his 10-year-old son, Cody, at Ettalong Beach, about 164 feet (50 meters) offshore, when the pair reportedly got caught in a rip at about 2:30 pm on a Saturday morning.
Family members said Sneddon tried to keep his son afloat before beachgoers rescued the father and son on two jet skis.
However, Mr Sneddon was unable to be revived by the Maritime Service and paramedics.
Sneddon’s mother, Lilian Sneddon-Camilleri said her son was a “loving father” and “loved his son and daughter.”
Michael Sneddon’s mother is appealing to beachgoers to stay away from the tide. Facebook
The devastated mum said she last spoke to Sneddon on Friday to wish him a happy New Year, and was still in shock after hearing the news.
“Michael is a hero to me. He always helped people and he was a good kid at school,” he said.
In light of the tragic accident, Camilieri urged families not to swim at unsupervised beaches, such as Ettalong Beach.
On Saturday, lifeguards from nearby Pantai Lautan and Pantai Umina were deployed to Ettalong to help with the public-initiated rescue.
Coastguards began a rescue for Sneddon and her son after they realized the two were in trouble. 7 NEWS
“He’s a good kid, and I love him. I just want other parents to learn from this. “Don’t swim in unsupervised places, and put safety items, such as life jackets, on you,” he said.
“I don’t want anyone else to go through this.”
Sneddon’s youngest brother Antonio Sneddon said he was loved by his extended family, including his five siblings.
He said his family had been told that Sneddon and Cody had been standing on a sand barge when it collapsed, plunging them both into the water.
Mr Sneddon’s death was the third in just 10 days on the Central Coast region. 7 NEWS
“It looks like Cody went in first and then Michael came in to save him,” Antonio said.
“We found out that Cody was holding his dad and telling him to ‘stay awake’, but by the time they got Cody, unfortunately Michael fell down and the rip got him.”
A statement from the family thanked the emergency services who rushed to the scene, and for the people on the beach who saved Cody.
“He was a great brother, and to his Mom and Dad he was a great son. To his own children, he is a great father,” it reads.
Despite the emergency team’s best efforts, they were unable to revive Mr Sneddon. 7 NEWS
“He was loved by his family and business associates.
“The Sneddon family would like to thank everyone who was first on the scene and thank them for saving their son Michael.”
Antonio said the family would extend an invitation to representatives from Ambulance NSW or LifeSaving NSW to attend his brother’s funeral, for their assistance on the day.
Witnesses at Ettalong Beach on Saturday said they originally thought it was a different kind of emergency when they started hearing screams in the waves.
“They were shouting at us from the water… I think there are sharks in the water,” said one.
His father’s death marks a glorious 10 days for The Central Coast region, after two men drowned on Christmas Day – one at Umina Beach, and a man in his 80s at Copacabana beach.
Surf Lifesaving NSW has confirmed a total of nine deaths along the coast this summer alone.
Chief executive Steve Pearce said the incident was “sad news” for the man’s family and the community as a whole following two recent deaths.
“They need time to reflect on this event and grieve the loss of their loved ones. We ask the media to give them privacy during this tragic time,” Mr Pearce said.
Hundreds of local residents took to social media to share their condolences to the families and those involved in the rescue attempt.
NSW Surf Life Saving manager Oliver Munson said surf lifesavers were working to reinforce the message of staying between the red and yellow flags to prevent this “tragic incident” from happening again.
“The local Central Coast community will be really affected by this drowning, especially those involved in rescue and resuscitation efforts,” Munson said.
“It’s really about stressing the importance of making sure you go to one of these controlled locations, staying safe between the flags whether you’re paddling, swimming or bodyboarding.
“We’re seeing all these deaths and they’re happening in unmanned locations or outside patrol hours.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
