Two little girls have been left orphaned after their parents drowned at a ‘treacherous’ beach while holidaying with friends.
Perth couple Dr Mohamed Swapan, 44, and his wife Sabrina Ahmed, 40, dived into the water to save their youngest daughter from a dangerous rip at Conspicuous Beach near Walpole in Western Australia’s south-west region on Saturday afternoon before they got into difficulty themselves.
Beachgoers pulled the couple’s bodies from the ocean but they couldn’t be revived, despite police efforts to perform CPR.
A friend of the couple who was among those who tried to rescue the pair was revived at the scene and remains in hospital in a stable condition.
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 feel, you know sorry,’ friend and colleague Ruhul Salim told Nine News.
‘All three basically drowned in the water. Then the other people and the community over there, nearby people, they came over and pulled out all three.’
A Perth couple have drowned while saving their daughter from treacherous conditions
Dr Mohamed Swapan, 44, and Sabrina Ahmed, 40, couldn’t be revived when their bodies were pulled to shore
Ms Ahmed was also an academic who studied planning and development in Bangladesh before the couple relocated to Perth in 2011.
The tragedy has rocked the local Bangladesh community.
‘The community will seriously miss this couple,’ Mr Salim added.
‘There has been a huge, you know, the tribute and condolences since yesterday,’ he said.
The tragedy sparked an outpouring of tributes.
‘The magnitude of this tragedy is beyond words,’ a tribute posted online stated.
‘This is, without a doubt, one of the most heart-wrenching losses the Bangladeshi community in Perth has ever experienced. They were a wonderful couple, deeply respected and loved by everyone 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 beautiful, gentle leader who loved his kids and loved his job and we’ll all miss him.
The couple drowned while saving their daughter from a rip at Conspicuous Beach
Conspicuous Cliff Beach is not patrolled by lifesavers.
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 the stretch of coastline including the beach ‘can be hazardous’.
The couple’s deaths take the national drowning toll to 26 since December 1.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk