A heroic medic father tragically lost his life after jumping into the sea in a desperate attempt to save two children who were in trouble in the water.

Alexandru Melei, 60, died on May 25 while on holiday in the seaside town of Ingoldmells, near Skegness, after bravely leaping into the sea to try and rescue two twin girls who 'appeared to be in distress'.

Emergency services, including an air ambulance, the coastguard and RNLI crews, rushed to the scene just after 4pm following reports that a man had entered the water close to the Promenade to help two struggling children.

However, he sadly 'got into difficulty' himself and was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

Now, Alexandru's devastated family has paid tribute to him in a moving statement on a GoFundMe page, describing him as 'selfless, brave, devoted' and revealing that he died as he had lived – helping others.