A young father passed away while saving his baby from a riptide.

30-year-old David Cole from England was vacationing with his partner, Katie Macdonald, and their three-year-old son at the beach in West Mersea when the toddler got into trouble while swimming.

Desperate to save his son from a powerful riptide, the dad held the boy above his shoulders so that his head was above the water. While the boy survived thanks to his father’s heroic action, Mr. Cole drowned in the rescue attempt.

Following the “amazing” dad’s tragic passing, Katie paid the young man a tear-jerking tribute in which she recalled David as the “best dad ever.”

“Dave was amazing. He was the best dad ever. He was like a big kid himself. All he ever wanted to do with the kids was have fun and make everything fun for the kids,” she said in an interview with BBC.

Katie also branded her partner as a hero saying he sacrificed his life to save that of his child without a second doubt.

“The lifeboat team arrived within minutes and did everything they could possibly do for my partner Dave but sadly he didn’t make it and passed away there on the beach,” Katie added as she launched a fundraiser for the hardworking Royal National Lifeboat Institution rescuers.

“My 3-year-old son who was in the water with him was beginning to drown but thankfully was got to in time. Apart from some shock he was fine and recovered well. In Dave’s memory I would like to raise money and gift it to the RNLI life boat team from Mersea island.”

Our thoughts remain with David’s loved ones during this challenging time.

What are your thoughts on this news? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to SHARE this post with your family and friends. For more news and stories, follow us on Facebook!