Swept from Wales rocks into the sea, again!

This news article by Martin Robinson was published in today's U.K. Dailymail:

A Mersey schoolboy died after being swept from rocks into the sea while on a family holiday in Wales despite a valiant attempt by his older brother to save his life.

Fifteen-year-old Sam Capper was on holiday when he was washed away when a freak wave crashed against the slippery rocks where he was fishing.

The sporty teenager, from Birkenhead, Merseyside, drowned despite the valiant attempts of his older brother Lewis Hunt, 21, who battled dangerous rip currents to try and keep his sibling afloat.

At one point the University student managed to grab his brother's hands but they were ripped apart by the outgoing tide and strong offshore winds.

Lewis was in a serious condition yesterday at Morriston Hospital in Swansea with his father Phil, 42, and mother Leah, 41, keeping a vigil at his bedside.

Phil was taking his sons for their yearly camping trip at Llangennith on the Gower coast near Swansea.

The family had travelled from their home in Birkenhead, Merseyside, to visit the seaside campsite when the tragedy struck.

At around 8pm the pair, who are understood to have been camping nearby with their parents, were on slippery rocks in an area known as Bluepool Corner, when suddenly a 'huge wave' took the 15-year-old with it into the sea.

Lewis dived in to find him and managed to hold his hand as they were tossed around by the water, but a strong tide and winds separated them and took them around half a mile out to sea.

Leah said: 'Our only consolation in this terrible tragedy is that, at the end, Sam wasn’t on his own - Lewis was with him, holding on to him tightly.

'Sam, who most people knew as Spud, was a unique, amazing, boy who touched the lives of so many people with his generosity, kindness and infectious laugh.

'He loved his brothers and sisters and spent most of his time - when he wasn’t thinking about football - trying to help people and make people smile.

'He was a huge fan of Tranmere Rovers, though he also liked Arsenal - which caused a bit of good-natured rivalry with Lewis who supports Liverpool.

'Sam has left a gap in our lives and will be missed, not just by his family, but by everyone who knew him.'

Geraint Parry, principal of Sam's school the University Academy in Birkenhead, paid tribute.

It's a long and detailed article complete with pictures of family and sceneries, maps of where it happened, and Coast Guard's rescuje efforts.  The key part of the story is still at the very beginning where "he was washed away when a freak wave crashed against the slippery rocks where he was fishing."  A familiar plot we have seen many times before at different locations around the world.  As always there is not much to say or do except send our deepest sympathy to the family and echo the family friend's sentiment to the lost young man: "You will be missed very much. My heart goes out to you and your family. 'RIP little man.'"