A father died in hospital yesterday after being swept off an inflatable dinghy by a strong wave in front of his children.
Terrence Woodward, aged 42, from Shrewsbury was on the dinghy with two of his children when the wave struck.
He and one child toppled from the inflatable, but while the child was able to scramble back on to it, Mr Woodward was swept away, a Milford Haven coastguard said.
The two children managed to return to shore in the dinghy and alerted people on the beach.
Mr Woodward was recovered by a rescue team. A helicopter was diverted to the scene and he was taken to Bronglais Hospital in Abery stwyth where he died yesterday morning.
The incident happened on Sunday in waters off Ynyslas beach, Borth, west Wales.
His wife Ginny, aged 36, the mother of his three children - Daniel, aged 18, James aged 16, and ten-year-old Tyler, described Mr Woodward as a "brilliant dad".
Mrs Woodward, from Harlescott, Shrewsbury, who has been separated from her husband for three years, said: "He was wonderful and had a heart of gold, he wouldn't hurt anybody."
She added that he would be missed by everybody who knew him and thanked the emergency services who helped in the rescue operation.
The coastguard warned that inflatables, which have no means of steering and can be punctured, were potentially "lethal" if not used properly.
A spokeswoman added that they could be swept out to sea in "seconds" and advised people to wear life jackets, check the weather and take care to plan when using them.
She added: "It was a fairly nice day but the warning for everyone is that even if the seas are calm there can be strong undercurrent.
"There is a temptation to go out to sea when the weather is nice but we advise people to wear inflatables if they do."
A post mortem examination will take place on Mr Woodward, who worked for Ruskim Seafoods in Telford.
Owner Lesley Mooney said he was a very popular member of staff, liked by everyone.
She added: "He was such a quiet, nice person." ..SUPL:
