Sad end in search for young boy swept out to sea
A body has been recovered in the search for a young boy swept out to sea in front of his family while on a fishing trip at The Entrance, NSW over the weekend.
Laith Alaid, 11, was crossing a channel about 5pm on Sunday when he was caught in the outgoing tide.
His father managed to save his other three sons aged, three, seven and nine, but he could not reach Laith in time.
Bystanders looked after the three children while Laith's father tried to reach him.
“(The father) came here by himself and with his four beautiful boys ... and he tried to save them all, he saved three and by the time he turned around (Laith) was gone ... in a split second,” family member Zeid Alhirz said.
The family were visiting the Central Coast from Sydney and had been fishing when it is understood they took a shortcut across the channel between an estuary and the ocean.
Relatives said they had visited and fished at the popular tourist spot for years and had crossed the channel at least three times before tragedy struck.
An extensive multi-agency search was conducted and on Wednesday police were called back to The Entrance after a body was found in the water.
“While the body is yet to be formally identified, it is believed to be that of the missing boy,” NSW Police said.
Inspector David Piddington said “lots of people try to move across that channel” but he advised against it.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
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