Heroic final act of parents who drowned at a popular beach in a Christmas holiday tragedy is revealed
Two little girls have been orphaned after their parents drowned on a ‘treacherous’ beach while on holiday with friends.
The Perth couple Dr. Mohamed Swapan, 44, and his wife Sabrina Ahmed, 40, dove into the water to rescue their youngest daughter from a dangerous rip at Conspicuous Beach near Walpole in Western Australia’s south-west region on Saturday afternoon, before getting into trouble themselves.
Beachgoers pulled the couple’s bodies from the ocean but could not be revived despite police efforts to perform CPR.
A friend of the couple, who was among those who tried to save the couple, was revived at the scene and is in a stable condition in hospital.
The couple’s youngest daughter survived the ordeal and has since returned home with her sister to stay with relatives.
The couple were respected members of the Bangladeshi community in Perth, where Dr Swapan was an associate professor at Curtin University.
‘Those girls. Oh my god. You know, I have regrets,” said friend and colleague Ruhul Salim Nine news.
“All three actually drowned in the water. Then the other people and the community there, people from the neighborhood, came over and took all three of them out.”
A Perth couple drowned while saving their daughter in treacherous surfing conditions
Dr. Mohamed Swapan, 44, and Sabrina Ahmed, 40, could not be saved as they were pulled to shore
Mrs Ahmed was also an academic who studied planning and development in Bangladesh before the couple moved to Perth in 2011.
The tragedy has shocked the local community in Bangladesh.
“The community will deeply miss this couple,” Mr Salim added.
“There have been a huge amount of tributes and condolences since yesterday,” he said.
The tragedy led to an outpouring of tributes.
“The magnitude of this tragedy cannot be expressed in words,” said a tribute posted online.
“This is without a doubt one of the most heartbreaking losses ever suffered by the Bangladeshi community in Perth. They were a wonderful couple, deeply respected and loved by all who knew them.
“Please keep their two young daughters, their extended family and their friends in your thoughts and prayers.”
Dr. Swapan’s university colleague Peter Newman told the West Australian: ‘He was a lovely, gentle leader who loved his children and his work, and we will all miss him.
The couple drowned while rescuing their daughter from a rip on Conspicuous Beach
The striking Cliff Beach is not patrolled by life savers.
More popular with fishermen than swimmers, the beach is known for its ‘large, unpredictable waves and swells, slippery rocks and strong currents’.
The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions warns that the stretch of coastline, including the beach, ‘may be dangerous’.
The couple’s deaths brought the national drowning toll to 26 since December 1.