A British man has died while trying to rescue his two children from drowning at an Australian beauty spot.
Police in New South Wales said the tourist, 44, died in hospital after getting into difficulty at Burrill Beach, around 155 miles south of Sydney on Australia’s east coast. The children were uninjured.
The man, who has yet to be named, is believed to have had a heart attack when he dived into the water to help his sons.
Witnesses said the man ran into the water when he realised that his sons were in trouble, believing they were caught in a rip – a strong undercurrent.
Beachgoers managed to rescue the boys before turning their attention to help the father.
But he was found floating face down.
He was pulled onto the beach where attempts were made to save him with CPR.
However he was pronounced dead on arrival at Milton Hospital.
A statement from NSW Police Force said: “Emergency services were called to Burrill Beach just after midday, where they found a man unconscious.
“The 44-year-old was taken to Milton Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
“Officers from Shoalhaven Local Area Command attended and were told the man, a British tourist, got into difficulty after attempting to rescue his two sons who were caught in a rip.”
Australian police will now prepare a report for the coroner.
It is the second drowning on the beach within about a month, after a Filipino national drowned at the northern end of Burrill Beach in December.
Burrill Beach is popular during the Australian summer but is generally not patrolled by life savers and is known for its treacherous rips.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “We can confirm the death of a British national on the 10th of January on Burrill Beach in Australia.
“We stand ready to provide consular assistance to the family at this difficult time.”