A HUSBAND almost drowned trying to rescue his wife when she was swept out to sea and drowned while on holiday in Greece.

Bill Huntington swam out to save his wife, Susan, when she got into difficulty on the island of Peloponnese.

Without any visable warning signs on the beach and in calm conditions, the mother-of-two was swept out to sea by a current.

The 47-year-old English and drama teacher drowned about 100 metres out to sea while the family was on a half-term break at the Kakovatos resort.

Frantic attempts by Mr Huntington to save her failed, and he narrowly escaped death himself, eventually struggling back to the shore, where he collapsed from exhaustion.

He was taken to hospital after the emergency services arrived at the scene of the tragedy, which took place on Thursday last week.

Mr Huntington and the couple's two daughters, believed to be aged four and eight, flew back to the UK last Friday.

The family, who moved to Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire, from Staffordshire, were too upset to talk.

The headteacher of private Fyling Hall School, at Robin Hood's Bay, Stuart Barnett, said: "We feel like we have lost a member of our family. Although we had not known Susan long, she was very much one of us, and we miss her deeply.

"She was a superb teacher who gave so much to her pupils. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her husband Bill and the rest of the family."