Tributes to Welsh dad of three who went on holiday and never came home

Bus driver Simon Jones, 42, died while swimming at a hotel pool in Greece

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Thomas Deacon

Kelly Williams

16:01, 15 SEP 2019

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Simon's family said he was a keen gym-goer (Image: Family handout)

A bus driver who "brought light into everyone's lives" died swimming in Greece while on holiday with his wife.

Simon Jones' family said his "heart just stopped" as he swam in the hotel pool on September 1 days before the couple were due to return home.

Tributes have been paid to the 42-year-old dad-of-three from Tonypandy in Rhondda Valley, who was pronounced dead despite efforts to save him, Wales Online reports.

His wife of nine years, Daniella, 29 said they had spent the day sightseeing around Rhodes before tragedy struck.

Simon and Daniella met through work at Ferris Coach Holidays (Image: Family handout)

Sister-in-law Tarah Morgan, 32, said: "Somebody they had met on the holiday pulled Simon out of the pool and tried to work on him and call the ambulance and things.

"They put him on the floor and worked on him for 45 minutes but there was nothing they could do.

"Poor Daniella had to wait for a taxi because they wouldn't let her in an ambulance."

Daniella waited in Greece for her mother and aunt to arrive, before returning home to Wales.

She said: "He was amazing, a really good man and a good husband. He'd always call me his princess."

The couple met through their work at Ferris Coach Holidays, where she worked as a courier and Simon as a coach driver across Europe.

Daniella said: "I started working for Ferris Coaches and Simon said [to one of his colleagues] 'I'm going to marry that girl'.

"And we did end up getting married. When I first saw him I thought he was mad. We got married after two years."

She added that working with her husband, a keen gym-goer, was "wild".

Simon had three children from a previous relationship and was a grandfather to two. He had worked as a coach driver for around 17 years with Ferris, travelling all over Europe, becoming well-known with holiday-makers across Wales and the continent.

The family said since Simon's death they have received messages from people he had met in Europe, and dozens of tributes have been paid to the driver across social media.

Simon Jones with his wife Daniella (Image: Family handout)

Speaking on Friday, Simon's brother, Damon Jones, described him as an "awesome brother".

Damon, one of three brothers, 39, said: "He was just a happy, fun guy who always cracked a joke. I've said if he was here now and this was me or my other brother, he would try to lighten up the situation. He would just bring light into everyone's life. There's not a story about him you can't not laugh at, he was just a joker.

"He was an awesome brother growing up, he was very protective. It was just fun times, going up the mountains, playing army. He really enjoyed the mountains."