Brian Clark, 51, had found love again, two years after losing his first wife Maureen after they had been married only two years.

Brian, from Leylands Park, met a Thai girl called Tong while on holiday earlier this year, and brought her back to England.

The couple returned to Thailand to take their vows in Bangkok and were celebrating on their honeymoon on the coast when tragedy struck while they shared a jetski run.

The family has been told Brian, who had an artery unblocked and a "stent" inserted a few years ago, fell from his jetski into the water in front of his bride, and rescuers carried him from the water.

It took an hour and a half to reach intensive care at Pattaya and doctors were unable to save his life. Doctors confirmed he had suffered a heart attack.

This week, instead of celebrating the wedding and looking forward to Christmas, the family is preparing for a memorial service for Brian, known as Blabbs, at St Andrew's Church in Burgess Hill on December 21 at 3pm.

He has already been given a traditional cremation in a Buddhist temple in Thailand.

Brian, whose last job was as a porter at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, was one of three brothers, including Alan, a businessman from Burgess Hill, and John, who lives in Orlando, Florida, who were raised in St Andrews Road, Burgess Hill by parents Pam and Maurice.

Mrs Clark, of Silverdale Road, Burgess Hill, was told of the accident, which happened on December 2, when she called last Sunday at Brian's home to check his dogs.

Mrs Clark said: "He got married for the first time late in life and after he lost Maureen only his love for his two dogs kept him going. After he met Tong he seemed really happy. He said to me once 'She's brought the happiness back into my life.'

"It seems as if he fell off the jetski and then tried to struggle back on and collapsed but we don't know for certain."

For more on this story see this week's Mid Sussex Times.