Hero father, 28, dies saving two people from drowning after spotting them in difficulty while having a picnic with his family

Published: 09:10, 3 June 2026 | Updated: 09:10, 3 June 2026 A father has died after he heroically saved two people from drowning, having spotted them during a Bank Holiday picnic with his family.  Rushabh Patel, 28, jumped into the wild swimming spot Newport Pagnell Beach in Buckinghamshire on May 24 after sighting the struggling strangers.  Mr Patel entered the River Great Ouse, saving both of their lives, however his own life tragically became the eighteenth life claimed by Britain's waters during last month's heatwave.  It is understood Mr Patel, who leaves his wife and 18-month-old daughter, suffered a cardiac arrest while in the water.  He was airlifted to Milton Keynes University where, despite the best medical efforts, he died a few days later. He went on to save five further people through donating his organs.  In a heartfelt tribute, Mr Patel's sibling Aman said the father-of-one's 'legacy continues in the hearts and lives of those saved'. They continued: 'A true hero never dies - he lives on through the lives he touched. No words can describe the heartbreak his family is experiencing.  'A young wife has lost the love of her life. A little girl, only 18 months old, has lost the father who will never get the chance to watch her grow up. His parents have lost their beloved son.  Rushabh Patel died after he heroically saved two people from drowning, having spotted them during a Bank Holiday picnic with his family in Buckinghamshire on May 24 Mr Patel entered the River Great Ouse, saving both of their lives, however he tragically became the eighteenth life claimed by Britain's waters during last week's heatwave 'Rushabh's final act on this earth was one of extraordinary courage and sacrifice. He gave his life while saving others.' 'He was a hero in every sense of the word,' the family member, who set up a GoFundMe to support the young family, added.  A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: 'Following a call from our colleagues in the Fire Service, officers attended Bury Fields, Newport Pagnell (known locally as The Beach) on Sunday 24th May - on arrival one male was receiving medical attention and was subsequently taken to hospital.' As Britain basked in its hottest May weather in history, the country saw an alarming number of deaths in open water.  This included 11-year-old child Mackenzie Swift, whose body was recovered on Tuesday.  Mackenzie Swift was last seen entering the River Don, near Mexborough, South Yorkshire, on Saturday evening. After he failed to emerge from the water, a 48-hour search operation was launched including firefighters, mountain rescue and an underwater search team. News that police had recovered Mackenzie's body came after a 13-year-old girl was pulled from the River Wharfe in Burnsall, near Skipton, North Yorkshire, on Sunday evening. Mackenzie Swift, 11, was last seen entering the River Don, near Mexborough, South Yorkshire, on Saturday evening. Today, a body has been recovered from the water  Lillianna Tomlinson 'brought laughter, friendship, and joy to so many', her best friend's mother said The teenager was airlifted to hospital where she was pronounced dead, North Yorkshire Police said. The family of Greg Howes, who died in the Norfolk Broads on Saturday afternoon, have urged people to take care on the water. In a tribute, his family said he had been 'dearly loved by his family and loved spending time on the Norfolk Broads'. 'At this sad time, his family would like to urge the public to take care and consider their safety when taking part in activities on the water on the Broads,' the statement added. On Monday, the first picture of a 16-year-old girl who died after getting into difficulty in open water was released. Lillianna Tomlinson died after entering the River Tame close to Kingsbury Water Park in north Warwickshire last Monday. Her 'devastated' family paid tribute to her in a statement released through Warwickshire Police on Tuesday. The family said: 'We're deeply saddened to be writing that Lillianna's life has been taken in the most tragic way. The body of 44-year-old Greg Howes was found on Saturday, following an overnight search Reco Puttock was rushed to hospital after being pulled from Leadbeater Dam in Halifax  'Our family is completely devastated and will be forever heartbroken. 'We would like to take a moment to sincerely thank our community for the love, compassion and support that has been shown to us, and for sharing in our grief - it means more than words can express.' An online fundraiser set up by the mother of Lillianna's best friend describes the teenager as 'a bright, kind, and caring young girl who touched the lives of everyone who knew her.' On Sunday, a 13-year-old girl died after being pulled out of the River Wharfe in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. And on Saturday, a woman died after entering the sea to try to rescue her dog in Thornton Cleveleys, Lancashire. The woman and a man, both in their 60s, were pulled from the ocean near Fleetwood Beach Café by the coastguard before being handed to paramedics. Tragically, the woman was pronounced dead in hospital while the man remains in a critical condition. The dog was 'recovered safe and well'. Last Friday, Police Scotland named a 16-year-old who died after getting into difficulty in the water in Stirlingshire as Charlie Noble. Chiedza Nyanjowa, 15, died the day before the girl in the River Wharf Muhammad Secka, 16, drowned while swimming in open water during the heatwave  Junior Slater, 12, and Declan Sawyer, 15, both died while swimming in open water during this month's heatwave And last Wednesday, the body of 14-year-old Baltazar L'Qui was found in the River Thames, while another teenage boy was found in a pond in Swanscombe, Kent. The same day, a missing teenage boy's body was found in a lake near Blackwater in Hampshire after he went missing while swimming. A body was also found at Hawley Lake in Hampshire after he went missing while swimming. Formal identification has yet to take place, but his family has been informed. Last Tuesday, two boys were found dead, including 17-year-old David Junior-Tita from Crewe, who died at Pickmere Lake in Cheshire. Junior Slater, 12, also died after getting into difficulty in the River Ribble in Lancashire. That day, police also recovered the body of a drowned 16-year-old boy from Sheffield who died in a Rotherham lake after going missing while swimming. Muhammad Secka, who had drowned the previous day, was described as a 'lovely, kind boy' who dreamed of becoming a doctor. A 15-year-old girl also died in hospital on Saturday after getting into difficulty in the sea off the coast of Merseyside on Bank Holiday Monday. Phil Crow, 68, suffered a 'cardiac arrest in the sea' while bravely trying to help two relatives who got into difficulty in the water at Tregirls Beach on Monday Pictured: Charlie Noble - the 16-year-old who died at Bracklinn Falls near the Scottish town of Callander, in Stirling Chiedza Nyanjowa, from Cheshire, was taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital after swimming at Formby beach, Merseyside Police said. There were four more deaths on Monday as temperatures reached 34.8C at Kew Gardens and broke the record for the hottest-ever May day. Among them was 13-year-old Reco Puttock, who was pronounced dead after being found in Leadbeater Dam in Halifax, West Yorkshire. Heroic grandfather Phil Crow, 68, also died after suffering a cardiac arrest when he ran out to the sea trying to rescue his wife and granddaughter when they got into difficulty at Tregirls Beach in Padstow, Cornwall. Last Sunday, an unnamed 72-year-old woman died off West Angle Beach in Pembrokeshire. In Lincoln that day, 15-year-old Declan Sawyer also died after getting into difficulty at Swanholme Lakes. The body of 66-year-old Stephen Faulkner was found in Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taf on Thursday, following a five-day search. A 19-year-old man, who had been at the lake with friends, was recovered from the water at Balderton Lake, off Heron Way in New Balderton, on Thursday afternoon. On Saturday, Nottinghamshire Police said the man had not survived, adding that his family has been informed and were being supported by specialist officers. He had not been seen since Friday, prompting a large-scale search operation involving fire, ambulance, air ambulance, coastguard personnel and other search teams. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. 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