Burnham: Bath dad missing at sea 'always put others first'

The family of a man swept out to sea say "he always put others first before himself as a beloved dad, brother and grampy".

Peter Jeffery, 68, from Bath, entered the sea from the jetty at Burnham-on-Sea to rescue a woman and her dog on Sunday.

Searches for Mr Jeffery have been suspended, after the woman and dog were recovered safely from the water.

Mr Jeffery's family said he would be "greatly missed by all".

"The family would like to thank everyone involved in the search; the RNLI, Coastguard, BARB Search & Rescue, volunteers and Avon & Somerset police," they said.

Mr Jeffery was an estate builder for the Duchy of Cornwall, based in Newton St Loe.

His family said: "We would also like to thank his many friends and work colleagues at the Duchy of Cornwall for their continued support and kindness.

"We respectfully ask for privacy at this sad time."

Alastair Martin, secretary and keeper of records at the Duchy of Cornwall, described Mr Jeffery as "cheerful and caring".

He said: "Pete has been a hard-working and loyal colleague of the Duchy since 1981, making him an irreplaceable asset after 42 years of service.

"Frequently described as cheerful and caring, we know he will be deeply missed by colleagues and tenants alike, both of which he helped immeasurably with his positive and bright attitude to always go above and beyond."

Burnham-on-Sea's Bonfire Night fireworks display, which had been scheduled for this weekend, has been postponed "out of respect" for Mr Jeffery.

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