Dad Dean Plumb has spoken from his hospital bed of how he survived the Algarve tragedy that claimed the lives of Bob and Debbie Fry and Jean Dinsmore.

Mr Plumb, 40, of South Marston, was on holiday with the Frys and Jean and Roy Dinsmore of Wootton Bassett when his son Sam, 12, and the Fry and Dinsmores' children got ino difficulties on Tonel beach on Monday.

He said: There was a sudden commotion on the beach. One of the children was crying and I realised something was had gone very wrong.

I ran down and saw my eldest son Sam was in the water.

I stripped off and swam towards him. There was such a strong current even the surfers, who looked familiar with the area, were clinging to their surfboards.

I shouted Sam. swim towards me and I will meet you half way'. He shouted dad, the waves are taking us further out'.

We were hit by a big aggressive wave and I knew exactly at that point that we were in a lot of trouble.

I recahed Sam and somehow pulled him forward, but it seemed like every five seconds or so we were hit by another large wave. They were so strong you couldn't get air, it was disorientating.

We were very near a large, central rock and I was desperate to get us to that.

It felt risky because the waves could dash us against it, but it felt like our best chance.

We managed to swim like mad for that and I could see two surfers on their boards.

I hurled Sam through the water towards them. The surfers were clinging to their boards and I shouted help the boy, help the boy'.'' He added: I managed to recah the rock but was too exhausted to climb right up it.

Another wave knocked me off and smashed me over the rocks. The waves took me further out to sea.

I don't know how long I was out there but it felt like at least half an hour.

I finally got to a surfer and he shouted grab the board'. But then this almight wave hit us and sent us both spiralling.

i was losing all strength. It felt like water was in my lungs.

I tried to swim on my back because i didn't have the strength t do front crawl. That did seem to get me closer to the beach.

The next thing I remember is people dragging me forward and I knew I must have got to shallow water.

People were comforting me. I didn't know then that Sam was safe but i saw him later. The next thing I remember was paramedics giving me an oxygen mask.'' The British Airways crew manager is still recovering in hospital in Portimao.