‘ Heroic’ man dies trying to save his son

THe mother of a man who drowned off the coast of Majorca while unsuccessfully trying to save his young son described him as “truly heroic” last night.

George Selby, who was in his twenties, and his young son Louis Selby died on the Spanish island on Saturday.

The tragic accident occurred at Cala Antena beach, a small bay near the resort of Calas de Mallorca, in the south east of the island.

In a statement released through the Foreign Office, Christine Selby said: “My son George Selby died trying to save his son Louis Selby.

“George was passionate about his wife Abigail and their three sons.

“This tragedy that has befallen this family has devastated the lives of his wife, sons, and mother. George, Louis and their family were – and still are – loved by all that knew them.

“Please allow us to grieve for our devastating loss of a truly heroic husband, father, son, brother. And Louis our little bear.”

According to a local paper, Louis was swept out to sea by a current and his father then tried to rescue him. Lifeguards tried to save the pair, but the rest of the family looked on as their efforts proved fruitless.

A red flag warning beachgoers not to swim is believed to have been flying at the time.

The report said the family had arrived for a holiday on the Balearic island just two days earlier.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the tragic deaths of two British nationals in Majorca on the first of September.

“We are providing consular assistance to the family.”

The deaths come less than two weeks after five-year-old Lara Lewis and her grandfather Brian O’Dwyer, 66, drowned near the holiday resort of Nazare in north Portugal.