Hero British father, 49, is feared dead after disappearing beneath waves while trying to

A heroic British father is feared to have died after disappearing beneath waves while trying to save his 15-year-old son who survived the ordeal on the paradise island of Mauritius.

The 49-year-old man had attempted to rescue his teenage son, who was swept out to sea by large waves in the Pomponette lagoon on the south coast of the island, according to local media reports.

But during the rescue the British national got into difficulty himself and by the time lifeguards reached the 15-year-old boy shortly after 10.15am on Saturday, his father had disappeared beneath the waves.

While his son was rescued successfully, the search for the man lasted into Saturday night and continued on Sunday. He has not yet been located and is feared to have died.

Police were called to the paradise beach and they arrived at 10.15am on Saturday morning. They launched a massive search operation, including the national coast guard and a police helicopter. 

The 49-year-old man had attempted to rescue his teenage son, who was swept out to sea by large waves in the Pomponette lagoon on the south coast of the island (file image of Mauritius)

The man, his partner and his son had arrived on Mauritius on Friday, March 22, and were due to leave about a week later, just before Easter Sunday, on March 30. 

The weather forecast for the area reveals that a storm was heading for the paradise island on the weekend and it is likely this impacted the large waves pulling the man and his son out to sea. 

The forecast had already warned of strong winds and possible three-metre waves on Friday and a strong swell warning was put in effect on Sunday in anticipation of the storm hitting the island in the night to Monday.

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.’

This comes as a British national has drowned in front of his wife after being swept away by strong currents while swimming off an Indian beach.

The 72-year-old man died on Friday evening at the Talpona beach in Canacona, in the western state of Goa, the Times of India reports.

Local police said he got carried away by a strong current after going for a swim with his wife.

The couple raised alarm as they drifted into the sea and lifesavers pulled them both ashore on jet-skis, according to local media. 

Both were given CPR and while his wife could be resuscitated, the British man was declared dead after being taken to a local hospital. 

The married couple were regular visitors in Goa and had been on holiday in the region for 15 days when the husband died, police said. 

Sources told local media the British man married his wife a year and a half ago.

An autopsy was ordered after police registered the man’s death as ‘unnatural’.