British holidaymaker drowns at Sydney beach

A British holidaymaker has drowned in Australia, police said today. The 59-year-old man was pulled unconscious from the sea near a southern suburb of Sydney, after his family reported him missing. Attempts by lifesavers to resuscitate him failed, although his wife was rescued. A 15-year-old boy thought to be part of the family group, was also saved from the surf, after going to look for the man at Elouera beach, Cronulla. The teenager is being treated for hypothermia but is not thought to be seriously injured. The accident happened on Monday evening in Australia, according to New South Wales police. Spokeswoman Joanne Elliott said: "We believe the man was missing for a while, as family members were in the surf looking for him. "A 15-year-old boy we believe to be part of the group had to be helped from the surf, suffering what we think to be hypothermia and shock. He has been taken to Sutherland hospital for treatment." Elliot said: "We don't know if he was a son or a grandson of the man who died. We believe the man was a tourist in Australia, which is terribly sad. We don't know if the 15-year-old is local or from Britain." Earlier in the day, a 36-year-old local man drowned after being caught by a riptide when a family of five went swimming at Mollymook beach on the state's south coast. His 12-year-old son managed to swim to shore. Police do not know whether a similar situation occurred at Cronulla. "The British man's death is being investigated," said Elliott.