Family of missing 11-year-old-boy swept out to sea break silence as harrowing new details emerge

The family of an 11-year-old boy who was and feared have thanked the community as the second day of searching for him drew to a close.

A family trip turned into a nightmare as he tried to cross a notorious channel on a day out with his father, 43, and younger brothers aged nine, seven and three at The Entrance in New South Wales, on Sunday. The boy was reportedly walking with a camp chair on his back as the family tried to cross the treacherous stretch of water.

The father was seen helping his youngest boys to cross the channel as his eldest son walked behind him, according to eyewitness reports. Tragically a strong outgoing tide swept the 11-year-old into the sea as he tried to cross. It is not known if he could swim.

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Witness Sarah Bailey described the tragic scene to 7 News, saying: “We heard yelling out and looked over and saw a man rushing through the water. And then we noticed a little boy in the waves with his arm up. He was really struggling.”

A second witness described how the father was “hysterical” after the boy was swept out to sea and “was gone in a couple of seconds”. The man desperately tried to rescue his son while two bystanders looked after his young children. Heartbreaking pictures show him sitting on the sand hugging his youngest son tight while being consoled.

The child’s mother, who had not come on the fishing trip, travelled to the area on Monday as the search for her son resumed. Speaking to 7 News 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 recovered the boy's chair, towel and esky before the search was suspended just after 4pm on Monday, the reports. The Australian authorities have said the search will resume again on Tuesday morning. In a tragic twist the incident occurred just 20 minutes after lifesaving volunteers had finished their patrols in the area for the day.

Inspector David Piddington of the Tuggerah Lakes Police District said: “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.”

The Entrance Channel is an especially dangerous stretch of water with shifting sands and strong currents that make it highly unpredictable. The family are understood to have been from an Arabic-speaking background, sparking calls for warning signs in multiple languages for people visiting potentially dangerous areas.