A father has drowned while rescuing his 13-year-old son from a rip during a family holiday on the NSW lower north coast.
The teen was able to reach safety after his father raced to his rescue at unpatrolled Boomerang Beach on Tuesday afternoon.
But the man in his 50s began to struggle and was pulled from the water by members of the public and a former surf lifesaver, who attempted CPR without success.
It's the second drowning in 16 days at the beach following the disappearance of a 22-year-old man from Orange, whose body has not been recovered.
NSW Lifesaving manager Andy Kent said the 28 coastal deaths in NSW this year represented a significant spike that is a worrying sign for lifesavers.
"It's very sad to see another drowning occur on the NSW coastline, and again at an unpatrolled beach," he said.
"Many beached are patrolled throughout the school holidays by professional lifeguards and we implore families and holiday-makers to head to one of these locations."
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