TWO South African men who tried to rescue their daughters in big surf west of Auckland drowned on Monday, police said. The incident happened at Piha beach, an area infamous for drownings. Police Senior Sergeant Ross Bielby identified the dead men as Peter Mavakua, 42, and Michael Valcarel, 40, recent immigrants from South Africa. “My understanding is that they had daughters who were out on boogie boards who got into difficulties,” he said. The girls were outside the life-saving patrolled area of the beach, although life guards were quick to the scene. The girls were saved but the men could not be revived.
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