The family of a "lovely" Gravesend man, who drowned on holiday in Barbados, is campaigning for signs to be put up on a popular beach where a number of tourists have been caught in the strong rip tide.

Eddie Flett, 71, drowned on March 21 last year after being pulled under the water off Rockley Beach, also known as Accra Beach, in Christ Church.

His son, David, said: “Dad was a wonderful man, he didn’t take risks.

“We are campaigning for the tourism board to have signage put up to warn people about the rip tide.”

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Eddie Flett

The grandfather-of-nine had booked the holiday as a treat for his wife of five years Linda, 64, in a bid to cheer her up following her father’s death six months earlier.

Mrs Flett, who had been with her husband for 10 years before they married, said: “I’m terrified of water but Eddie asked if I wanted to go for a paddle so I was just going to go to the water’s edge.

“It wasn’t deep but it was going over my ankles so I decided to get out – Eddie asked if I minded him going for a swim.

“I gave him a kiss and said ‘see you soon.’”

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Linda and Eddie Flett

Mrs Flett returned to her sunbathing spot but looked up from her book to realise she couldn’t see her husband.

She added: “I heard someone shout to the lifeguards, who are at the other end of the beach, ‘I need help over here.’ “I think I knew deep down that something was wrong but you don’t want to believe it – then I saw them bring Eddie onto the beach.”

Lifeguards carried out CPR for 15 minutes on the father-of-four before an ambulance arrived but he was pronounced dead at the island’s Queen Elizabeth hospital the same day.

Mrs Flett has researched the beach to find several people had drowned or had to be rescued in the same area in the past four years.

In January, Top Gear host Chris Evans pulled a struggling pensioner out of the water at the beach.

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Chris Evans helped rescue a pensioner at the same beach

In February last year, 80-year-old Trinidadian national Yussuff Romatally died after being pulled from the water by lifeguards.

In April 2014, BBC film-maker Jay Merriman-Mukoro was reported missing after swimming in the sea off the beach – his body was later discovered further up the beach.

Mrs Flett said: “My husband didn’t take risks, he wouldn’t even go up the ladder – there’s no way he would have gone in the water if there had been signs up.

“I would say to people planning to go there, go on the internet, do your research and be very careful near the water – don’t let children play in the water.”

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An inquest into Mr Flett’s death has been scheduled towards the end of the year.

His family are looking to trace anyone who was on the beach at the time of accident, including one woman called Louise Farnworth who helped Mrs Flett out on the day.

Louise was believed to have a home in Barbados, but may have moved on as a phone number Mrs Flett had for her is no longer working.

The widow, who lives in The Drive, Gravesend, said: “It would be useful for her or anybody else who was on the beach that day to give us a statement for the inquest.

“I also just want to thank her again.”

If you can help the Flett family find anyone who may be able to provide a statement email fiona.simpson@london.newsquest.co.uk