Daughter's tribute to hero dad who died trying to save twin girls stuck in the sea

GOFUNDME APPEAL SET UP TO 'BRING HIM HOME' AFTER ROMANIAN NATIONAL'S RESCUE WHILE HE WAS ON HOLIDAY WITH HIS WIFE

- By DAN WARBURTON

THE daughter of a hero holiday-maker who died as he tried to rescue two twin girls from drowning at sea today told how his wife held his hand as his life ebbed away.

Ana-Maria Barbu, 36, revealed her father, Alexandru Melei, 60, had been in the UK visiting friends when he died trying to reach the stricken girls who were in distress at sea. Ana-Maria told how he heard the youngsters' screams for help and raced into the water - but was overwhelmed by the swell close to the Promenade in Ingoldmells.

And she has now launched a mercy mission to have his body repatriated back to his native Romania so they can lay him to rest.

Speaking from her home in Bucharest, Ana-Maria said: "My mother and father were walking along the seashore when they heard the girls screaming, they were in distress.

"The girls lived near my father's friends, so they knew them. From what I understand they had gone in the water together but had become separated when the water rose quickly. They were starting to panic, they were screaming and yelling for help. My father jumped in to try to save one of them and his friend went to the other.

"His friend managed to get the other girl out, but they were exhausted and they could see my dad was struggling. They had to do CPR on my father, my mum was there with him and was holding his hand the entire time. They couldn't do anything to save him."

Alexandru and his wife of 38 years, Cornelia, 57, had arrived in the UK on Friday and were staying with Romanian friends in the popular tourist hotspot.