- Jake Brown, 29, drowned Sunday
- His body was recovered four hours later.
A father was found dead on a popular beach after telling his partner: “Hold my beer” before jumping over the edge of a shark net and being swept out to sea.
Jake Brown, 29, was swimming in a closed area at Paradise Point Parklands on the Gold Coast when he became trapped in nets about 4pm on Sunday.
Passersby desperately ran to his aid, but were unable to locate him after the current swept him away.
His body was recovered four hours later after a massive search operation involving water police, Polair and the dive team.
A witness said he saw Mr Brown and his friend sitting on the net moments before the tragedy occurred.
The man said Brown told his friend to “hold my beer” before jumping over the edge of the net.
“I said ‘stop’, you could see what was going to happen,” the witness said. courier mail.
“He tried to jump but the current took him away, he went up once and I swam to him, but then he went under the net.”
Jake Brown, 29, has been found dead following a four-hour search operation on the Gold Coast.
Brown was swimming in the closed area of Paradise Point Parklands (pictured) when he got into trouble at 4pm on Sunday.
‘It was so fucking obvious what was going to happen, that’s why I screamed, ‘Don’t do it!’ It’s so sad.’
Brown’s heartbroken partner Kama Robinson hit back at online trolls after social media users suggested Brown must have been “another refugee” or “didn’t know how to swim”.
“You’re a worm,” Mrs Robinson responded to a troll.
‘This is my partner. He was not just a man, he was a much-loved friend, partner, father, brother, son, grandson and uncle.’
“He was a beautiful man whose smile lit up every room he walked into (and) unfortunately we lost a beautiful human being.”
In another tribute, his friend Nissa Janbroers wrote: “RIP brother, we love you so much.”
The tragedy occurred when the beach was packed with families enjoying the warm weather as the temperature soared to 32 degrees.
Hundreds of beachgoers gathered to watch the frantic search begin, with firefighters in snorkels entering the water and helicopters hovering overhead.
Rescuers could be seen examining the net amid the desperate search for Mr Brown on Sunday.
A devastated friend can be seen speaking to emergency services at the scene.
A council spokeswoman said an investigation was underway into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
“The city is aware of the incident that occurred this afternoon inside the swimming facility at Paradise Point Parklands,” it said in a statement.
‘We are actively cooperating with authorities to understand the cause of the incident.
“The city will provide whatever assistance it can to emergency services to assist in this matter.”