The family of a father-of-five who tragically drowned on Australia's newest man-made beach on Boxing Day have revealed he was a good swimmer who died while making sure his children were safe.
Seti Tuaopepe, 35, and his family had been on a day out at Penrith Beach in Sydney's west, called 'Pondi' by locals in honor of the city's iconic Bondi Beach.
Mr Tuaopepe and three of his children ventured into the water with an inflatable paddleboard they had brought from home and were just 20 meters from shore when they ran into trouble.
“His final act is the perfect example of the kind of person he was towards his children,” Mr Tuaopepe's wife Mina told A Current Affair.
“That he sacrificed his own life to make sure our children were safe.”
Seti Tuaopepe, who drowned at Penrith Beach on Boxing Day, is remembered as a family man who would do anything for his children (pictured together)
Emergency services were called to the beach last Saturday afternoon and found Mr Tuaopepe's body that evening
The family have spoken out about reports that Mr Tuaopepe could not swim, with Mina saying it was a way of life to learn the skill where he grew up in Samoa.
She also added that he was fit and healthy, had no medical problems and had recently undergone a thorough medical examination for work.
There were also reports that the group had swam outside the area of the beach where lifeguards patrolled, but Ms Tuaopepe said the paddleboard was not allowed in the patrolled area and they were still in the area.
She said the tragedy happened at about 2.30pm on December 26, after the paddleboard capsized as the youngest two of the three children moved to get closer to their older sister Celeste, 12, who was in the water.
Mr Tuaopepe and Celeste managed to right the paddleboard and get Zaynah, six, and Romney, four, back onto the vessel, but then something seemed to happen to the young father.
'It was as if he was shivering and gasping for breath. He was just trying to hold on to something,” Ms Tuaopepe said.
In a final heroic act, her husband chose not to grab the paddleboard. His family believes he knew his weight could cause it to fall and send the children back into the water.
“I think it showed his love for us in that moment,” his daughter Celeste said.
Mina Tuaopepe said her husband was a good swimmer who grew up in Samoa and had also recently received a good medical rating for his work
A fellow paddle boarder who had come along to help the family later said that Mr. Tuaopepe was lying next to him, about three feet away, one minute and the next minute he had disappeared beneath the surface.
About a dozen beachgoers and lifeguards frantically searched for him, but to no avail.
A wider search was then launched involving emergency services and a rescue helicopter, with Mr Tuaopepe's body found in the water at around 6.30pm.
Mina said she still found it difficult to understand what could have happened.
'Swimming is mandatory (in Samoa). You have to learn to swim to survive,” she said.
“I'm just trying to understand the idea that he's struggling because, like I said, he was a good swimmer.
“I hope there's nothing under… he wasn't caught under… I hope he wasn't.”
The coroner is investigating what went wrong and will release its findings later this year.
The NSW Government said Penrith Beach was developed after thorough consultation and a risk assessment was carried out with the Royal Life Saving Society, police and paramedics.
Penrith's new beach was created from a quarry filled with water and sand brought in from the coast
The Tuaopepes' eldest daughter, Patience, 13, said she was proud of her father, especially the fact that he went back to college after she was born so he could complete a bachelor of science degree.
His diploma would later allow him to work as an environmental scientist.
“My dad was kind of my best friend in a way, he helped me with everything,” Patience said.
“He wasn't afraid to do anything, and he wasn't afraid to prove people wrong.”
Ms Tuaopepe said her focus was now on her children and a GoFundMe has been set up to help the family.
She hopes that by speaking out, others will know Mr. Tuaopepe the same way she did.
“Seti was a family man, he was definitely a man of God… He based his life on his children,” she said.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Western Sydney Lakes and the NSW Government for comment.
