A grandfather died while rescuing his nine-year-old granddaughter after a sudden change in sea conditions sent his family members into deep water on a Cornwall beach in the UK.Phil Crowe, 68, went into cardiac arrest at sea at Treasures Beach near Padstow over the bank holiday Monday after helping to rescue his granddaughter, Sia Briskam, and his wife, Tina Crowe.According to family members, the trio was in the water when conditions unexpectedly changed and they began to drift away from shore.Tina Crowe told the Daily Mail that the family was enjoying the waves when they suddenly found themselves unable to touch the seabed.“We were jumping with the waves and then suddenly we couldn’t hit the ground when we landed,” she said. “It was deeper and it was pulling us out.”She said her husband focused on helping their granddaughter get to safety as the situation worsened.“He was pushing her feet and shouting, ‘Swim, swim, swim,'” she recalled. “He pushed her to a safe place, but doing so meant he wouldn’t be able to get back himself.”Sia was eventually brought to shore by members of the public, while Tina was rescued by a passing boat and later examined by a paramedic.
Family members said about 15 people joined the effort to help those stuck in the water.Mr Crowe, a retired builder and lifelong resident of Padstow, was pronounced dead at the scene despite emergency services responding.His daughter, Mel Thomas, said the family viewed his recent actions as a sacrifice.“He died a hero and he wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said. “He saved his granddaughter’s life. She’s safe because of what he did.”Thomas said her father adored his five grandchildren and was always very protective of them.The family said they had visited the same beach decades ago and described the incident as a devastating shock.Coastguard crews, Rock RNLI lifeboat crew and Cornwall Air Ambulance attended the emergency.Devon and Cornwall Police said officers were called at around 3.50pm to reports of a man suffering a cardiac arrest at sea.A police spokesman said, quoted by the Daily Mail: “Emergency services and the RNLI attended the scene, but unfortunately the local man in his 60s was pronounced dead at the scene.”Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious and a file would be prepared for the coroner.Mr Crowe’s death came during the bank holiday period which saw large numbers of people visiting beaches and open water swimming spots across the UK amid unseasonably warm weather.