THE family of Ernie Holder, Upton-upon-Severn's popular mayor who died at the weekend, have said he died doing what he loved best.
Mr Holder was on holiday, sailing his boat, Tahelia, from Padstow to Penarth in South Wales, when he suffered a suspected heart attack at the helm on Saturday.
As there was no-one else on board, the boat went round in circles before running aground about 500 yards off Penarth Marina.
His sister-in-law, Rose Lane, said: "It is some comfort at least that he died doing what he loved best.
"His boat looked after him to the end. She got him to the shore when she could have hit the pier or another boat.
"My sister would like to pay tribute to the lifeboatmen who attended the scene. They re-floated the boat and told us exactly what had happened, and went way beyond the call of duty in the way they treated us with so much compassion and humanity."
Coun Holder, aged 74, was well respected in Upton as a first-class sailor.
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