THE body of a Sydney father of two was found in Wallis Lake last week after he drowned trying to fetch his son’s shoes.
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William Lam, 32, from Berala in western Sydney, was fishing with his three-year-old son near the traffic bridge on the Tuncurry side last Wednesday when he jumped into the water at about 1pm to retrieve his son’s shoes.
Mr Lam struggled against a strong current and was swept out into the lake. By 2pm, a large scale search involving Police, Marine Rescue NSW. Westpac Rescue Helicopter and Forster Surf Life Savers was launched on Wednesday and continued through to Thursday.
Police divers were brought in from Sydney on Thursday morning and scaled the lake from the Tuncurry boat ramp, under wharfs, up through the channel and under the traffic bridge but failed to locate anything.
Manning Great Lakes Local Area Command Acting Inspector Charne Musgrove said conditions at the lake on Wednesday had been “atrocious” and police had grave concerns for Mr Lam as he was not a “great swimmer.”
“There were a few witnesses who saw Mr Lam in the water but the weather yesterday (Wednesday) was too atrocious to get a boat in,” Acting Inspector Musgrove told the Great Lakes Advocate last Thursday.
“The witnesses grabbed the son once they saw the father in the water and called police. The little boy was then taken back to Forster Police Station and is ok.”
Witnesses told police they saw Mr Lam near a yellow buoy before a strong current pulled him under the water.
Tragically, Mr Lam’s body was found by a fisherman at about 12pm on Thursday near Regatta Island. A report is being prepared by the coroner.
Mr Lam’s wife was believed to have been with the couple’s youngest son at their accommodation when the incident occurred. They are believed to have family in the area.