Dad drowns saving daughter, 11, after she was swept away by ‘unforgiving’ ocean

A father drowned while rescuing his 11-year-old daughter while the pair were swimming in Australia.

Hero Paul Doran, from County Kildare in Ireland, died while rescuing his daughter last Wednesday evening.

The pair had been swimming in shallow water at Seven Mile Beach on Lennox Head, two hours south of Brisbane, when his daughter was swept out to sea, the Mirror reports.

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The family had recently moved out to Australia from Tipperkevin in Ballymore Eustace, County Kildare, with a friend of the family Rose Barrett O’Donoghue saying the village was "reeling" from Paul's passing.

Writing in the Ballymore Eustace Facebook page, she said: “There are no words to lessen the pain, nothing that can be said to reduce the heartbreak the Doran family is feeling today."

The family were having an evening swim at the beach on Wednesday when Mr Doran’s daughter Lyra found herself in trouble on a bodyboard.

They were swimming in shallow water she was swept out to sea.

Mr Doran swam out to help her but neither of them were able to get back to shore, so Mrs Doran then swam out.

She successfully retrieved their daughter and alerted authorities that her husband was still in the water.

Two police officers, who were first on the scene, entered the surf in an attempt to find him but were unsuccessful.

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Mr Doran was eventually retrieved around half an hour later by surf lifesavers.

New South Wales ambulance paramedics initiated CPR but were unable to revive him and he died at the scene.

Lifeguard Scott McCartney told 9News they were alerted to “a man in distress” around 6.30 pm after the girl was swept away in a “perfect storm” of “unforgiving” conditions.

Another tribute on the Facebook page said: “There are no words to lessen the pain, nothing that can be said to reduce the heartbreak the Doran family is feeling.

“It is cruel for his wife Simonne and their three children, dreadful for Helen and Paddy, and for Paul's siblings Aoife, Emma, Sarah and Gavin and their extended families.”

Paul’s colleague Jeff Colley shared an emotional tribute and revealed his crucial role in the 600 new homes in the country’s largest social and affordable scheme at Shankill in Co Dublin.

Mr Colley said: “Paul was one of the best and most forward-thinking builders I've ever encountered, a modest man who had a big impact.

“He had recently moved to Australia and was caught in a riptide trying to save his daughter, who mercifully survived.

“My heart breaks for his wife Simonne, Paul, Pat and Simonne worked together to deliver some extraordinary buildings.

“Without him, the likes of the 600-unit Shanganagh project – Ireland's largest passive house project – wouldn't be happening.

“It was a pleasure to have known Paul. May he rest in peace.”

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