A dad has gone missing at sea after stopping his 10-year-old son from drowning in rough currents after lifeguards had finished their shift.

Danilo Torrano, 36, managed to pull the young boy from the strongest currents but disappeared shortly thereafter, with the authorities still looking for him.

The incident took place on Guarajuba beach, in the Camacari District of the northern coast of the Brazilian state of Bahia, on the afternoon of Saturday, 3rd December.

Danilo, a financial consultant, was reportedly at the beach on holiday with his wife, children and friends.

Some of them went into the water and swam, but as the waves got rougher, the group are being carried out to see further and further away from the beach.

They decided to turn back, with Danilo managing to pull his son from the strong currents before vanishing from view.

His son made it out of the water as the other members of the group but Danilo is still missing.

A search carried out by the Coast Guard yielded no results.

The missing man’s brother, who has not been named, told local media: “The ground has been swept out from under our feet. He was a very cheerful man, very extroverted, playful.”

The authorities said that the group was swimming after 5pm, which is when the lifeguards finish their shift.

The authorities said: “It is not advisable to rescue a person who is drowning if he is not prepared for the job.”

It is unclear if they are still looking for the man, who is presumed drowned.