The distraught family of an 11-year-old boy who feared he had drowned after being swept out to sea have thanked the community as the search was suspended for a second night.
The boy had been on a fishing trip with his father, 43, and younger brothers aged nine, seven and three, at The Entrance on the NSW Central Coast on Sunday.
It is understood the boy was walking with a camp chair on his back as the family crossed a notorious canal, it was reported The Daily Telegraph.
Witnesses recalled seeing the father helping his youngest boys across the Channel as his eldest son followed behind.
The 11-year-old was swept into the ocean by the strong outgoing tide.
It is not known whether the missing boy could swim.
“We heard screaming, looked over and saw a man running through the water,” Sarah Bailey said 7 News.
‘And then we saw a little boy in the waves with his arm up.
The distraught father is seen hugging his youngest son shortly after his eldest was swept into the sea on Sunday afternoon.
The extensive search and rescue operation (pictured) was suspended just after 4pm on Monday but will resume at first light on Tuesday morning.
“He was really struggling.”
Another witness, Gary Phillis, said the boy was “gone within seconds” and that his father was “hysterical.”
Two bystanders helped care for the man’s younger children as he frantically tried to save his son.
The distraught father was later pictured sitting on the sand and hugging his youngest son tightly as he was comforted.
It is understood the mother had not gone on a fishing trip but traveled to the Central Coast with family and friends on Monday when the search resumed.
The family told Seven News on Monday they would like to ‘thank the community, residents and locals’ for their support and assistance during ‘this extremely difficult time’.
Despite the extensive search for the missing boy, he has still not been located, but his family has not stopped searching for him.
Police divers found the boy’s chair, towel and esky before the search was called off just after 4pm on Monday.
The search will resume on Tuesday morning.
In a heartbreaking twist, the boy was thrown into the sea about 20 minutes after lifesaving volunteers ended their patrols for the day.
The channel at The Entrance is a notoriously dangerous place as the drifting sand pushes strong currents out to sea (photo)
Tuggerah Lakes Inspector David Piddington told media on Monday that NSW Police have a specialist family liaison to assist the family.
“The family are very distraught and as I said, they are very well supported by our family liaison and chaplains, and we will help them as much as we can,” he said.
The family is from an Arabic-speaking background, prompting calls for warning signs in multiple languages for people visiting areas across the country who may be unaware of hidden dangers.
The Entrance Channel is one of the most dangerous locations in the region due to the changing tides that send strong currents out to sea.