West Mersea: 'Hero' dad saved his son but drowned

A dada died aft redeeming his young lad from drowning successful the sea, his grieving spouse has revealed.

David Cole and his three-year-old lad were caught by a rip tide portion astatine a formation successful West Mersea connected 11 June.

The 30-year-old made definite his lad was unharmed, keeping his caput supra water, but Mr Cole ne'er regained consciousness.

His partner, Katie Macdonald, is raising wealth for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

She praised the unit arsenic "amazing" for their efforts.

Ms Macdonald was connected the formation with the couple's different son, aged one, erstwhile Mr Cole and their kid got into difficulties.

"Not being capable to bash anything, feeling helpless, was truthful hard - it was horrible," said Ms Macdonald.

"The lifeboat unit were conscionable truly bully astatine splitting themselves betwixt being with my spouse and trying to resuscitate him and past looking aft my three-year-old.

"It could person been my three-year-old lad who drowned arsenic good if it weren't for them."

A paddleboarder and 2 lifeguards were archetypal to assistance Mr Cole and his lad earlier the RNLI unit arrived minutes later.

The Essex and Hertfordshire Air Ambulance and the East of England Ambulance Service besides attended.

Ms Macdonald, from Hertford successful Hertfordshire, said: "Dave was amazing. He was the champion dada ever.

"He was similar a large kid himself. All helium ever wanted to bash with the kids was person amusive and marque everything amusive for the kids."

She said helium worked "so hard" successful his occupation arsenic a roofer to "give america everything helium perchance could" and added: "He is conscionable a hero. A leader successful the consciousness helium enactment his lad earlier himself and saved his son's life."

Ms Macdonald's online fundraising leafage has received much than £3,500 donations since it was acceptable up six days agone and she hoped to besides springiness wealth to Colchester Hospital, wherever the household were treated and supported aft the tragedy.

Rick Boreham, a unpaid lifeboat operations manager astatine West Mersea RNLI, said the unit was "incredibly grateful".

"The station's unpaid unit is truly touched that she has acceptable up the fundraising page," helium said.

"Katie is cordially invited to sojourn the presumption anytime and volition person a lukewarm welcome."

If you person been affected by issues raised successful this article, determination is accusation and enactment organisations listed astatine BBC Action Line.