Tributes to two Brits who drowned while swimming near Great Barrier Reef

The Coroner’s Court of Queensland saidthe two deaths had been reported to the court

A police helicopter recovered the bodies of the father and son from the water (Getty Images)

A father and son from Wales have drowned while swimming at an unguarded beach near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

Robin Reed, 46, and his 17-year-old son, Owen, from Caerphilly County in South Wales, got into difficulty in the water at Seventeen Seventy in Queensland on 13 April. A third man, an Australian national, was also rescued and airlifted to hospital with serious head injuries.

A police helicopter recovered the bodies of the father and son from the water. The popular tourist destination of Seventeen Seventy is known for its beaches and proximity to the Great Barrier Reef. Authorities have not yet released details about the circumstances that led to the drownings.

The Coroner’s Court of Queensland told the BBC the two deaths had been reported to the court and coronial investigations are in their initial stages.

In a tribute to the father and son on Facebook, Treowen Stars FC, a football club based in the Newbridge area of Caerphilly, said: “Awful, awful news about Robin Reed and his son Owen.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences with Robin and Owen’s family and friends.

“Robin was a good friend to many at Treowen and will be missed.

“Rest in peace both.”