A DAD has told how he and his seven-year-old son are lucky to be alive after nearly drowning off Bournemouth beach.

James Brackenridge watched in horror as his ten-year-old daughter Sophie and son William were suddenly swept away by powerful waves after playing in the shallows during a family holiday.

The 39-year-old dad cannot swim but out of desperation, dashed into the sea fully clothed where he found himself in trouble and fighting for his life.

Quick-thinking Sophie managed to swim to the beach to raise the alarm and a heroic Italian tourist leapt into the water to rescue the father and son.

Now James, from Bracknell, is searching for the mystery rescuer to thank him for saving his family as coastguards have warned about dangerous currents.

James, said: “He’s a hero. Both me and my son owe our lives to the man who saved us. I was in complete shock, I didn’t think to ask his name and he disappeared without a fuss. Without him, we would have drowned.”

The drama unfolded last Tuesday afternoon close to Bournemouth Pier just days before stormy weather caused chaos across the country and claimed a man’s life in Sandbanks on Saturday.

Speaking to the Daily Echo as thousands are set to flock to the beaches for the final week of the summer holidays, James, said: “I told the kids not to go in over their knees but big waves came along and very suddenly, they were washed completely out of their depth. Sophie swam back but William can’t swim and he was in trouble. I am a complete non-swimmer but me being a dad, I just didn’t think straight. I ran in like a complete nutter after William. I managed to catch his T-shirt but I was totally out of my depth. The waves kept pushing me under the water again and again about five times. I thought: ‘this is it.’ I managed to try to hold my son out of the water.”

The anonymous rescuer pulled William to safety before going back for the dad-of-two.

James, who suffered cuts and bruises, said: “It was a nightmare come true but he was amazing. He just appeared. I remember him saying ‘I came in from Italy to save you and your kid.’ I can’t thank him enough.”

“My arms and legs were cut to shreds caused by the rocks in the sea and I walked coughing and wheezing in shock to the lifeguards before returning to Carisbrooke Hotel where we were staying.

Brett Shepherd, operations manager for lifeguards at the RNLI, said the weekend rough conditions were more like those usually seen in late autumn than in August.

He urged people to “respect the sea”, to “go to a lifeguarded beach and swim between the flags”, adding: “That doesn’t only apply in the conditions we saw at the weekend – even when the sea is calm you can get unexpected waves and dangerous rip currents which can catch people out. Do take the advice of the lifeguards – they will help anyone visiting the beach do so in the safest possible way.”