A man and his son were swept out to sea in Mauritius (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
A heroic British father is feared dead after disappearing beneath the waves while trying to save his son from being swept out to sea.
The 49-year-old man had attempted to rescue his teenage son after he was dragged into the ocean by large waves on the south coast of the tropical African island.
But during the rescue attempt the British national found himself struggling in the waters, and by the time lifeguards managed to rescue the 15-year-old boy at 10.15am on Saturday, the father had disappeared beneath the waves.
A massive search operation involving a police helicopter and the coastguard took place throughout Saturday and Sunday night, but yielded no results.
Caption: British father, 49, is feared dead after disappearing beneath waves while trying to save 15-year-old son in MauritiusPomponette lagoon, Mauritius
The man, who arrived with his partner and his son on Friday, March 22, is still missing but is now thought to be dead.
His son was successfully rescued by lifeguards and survived the ordeal.
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.’
Local weather forecasts reveal that a storm hit the paradise island over the weekend and it is likely this impacted the large waves which pulled the man and his son out to sea.
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