Father's devastation after his teenage son visiting from Brazil drowns in riptide at Camber Sands

The devastated father of a teenager who drowned on a family trip to the seaside today told of his disbelief at his death.

Gustavo Silva Da Cruz, 19, who was visiting his father in Croydon on a summer holiday from his home in Brazil, was dragged out to sea by a rip current off Camber Sands, near Rye, at noon on Sunday.

His body was found following a six-hour search involving helicopters, lifeboats and the coastguard.

His father Gutenberg Cruz, who joined the frantic search for his son, told the Standard: “My oldest son came to London and drowned on the beach and died. It is so soon, I can’t believe it.”

Gustavo’s friends and family are now raising money to transport his body back to Sao Paulo, where he lives with his mother and grandparents.

Drica Santini, a friend who was with the party on the beach, launched a fundraising effort to help pay for the victim’s repatriation which reached nearly £9,000 in less than 24 hours.

She said: “What was supposed to be just a fun day at the beach, unfortunately has ended in tragedy. The son of our dear Gutenberg died after drowning in one of the beaches here in England.

“Please I ask you all to help this father to send the body of his son to Brazil so that Gustavo can have the funeral along with their family.”

Donations have flooded in from friends and holidaymakers who witnessed the “horrific” scenes unfold.

Two other people, a father and son from London, who also got into difficulty while swimming in the strong current, today remain in a critical condition in hospital.

Justin Pervoki, a 42-year-old techno producer, was in the water with his children when he noticed the tide change and the “tragic accident” unfold.

He said: “For the past 10 years Camber Sands has been a place dear to my heart - it’s a simple but wonderfully beautiful place, far removed from glitzy tourism - a quite bleak but totally beautiful place.

“I was in the sea with my kids and we noticed the tide suddenly rushing in. Both my kids left the water.

“I stayed in the rough surf and suddenly saw huge police and coastguard activity. Two people were airlifted to hospital but unfortunately a 19-year-old boy from Brazil was unable to swim to shore.

“It was a deeply upsetting scene.”

A Sussex Police spokesman said the death was not being treated as suspicious and the coroner has been informed.

He added: “The other two people, not connected to Gustavo, a 35-year-old man and his 17-year-old son visiting from London, remain critical but stable.”