THE DEVASTATED son of a Macclesfield man who drowned while on a dream holiday in Greece has paid tribute to his ‘best mate’.

Graham German, 69, of Bromley Road, Broken Cross, died on a Corfu beach on May 29, this year.

An inquest at Macclesfield Town Hall on Friday (October 16) heard how Graham – a caretaker and bus driver at Beech Hall School for 20 years - was on holiday with best friend Cyril Benson.

The dad-of-two, who swam four times a week, drowned in the sea just hours before he was due to leave a paradise resort on the Agios Stefanos beach in Corfu.

Yesterday, his son Andrew German, from Over Peover, said: "He really was my best mate.

"He was a normal chap but he would do anything for anyone, once he was your friend he was a friend for life."

More than 400 people attended two services organised in Graham’s honour following his death in May this year.

Father-of-two Andrew, a huntsman, said: "We held a service here in Over Peover because he would come here a lot and spend a lot of time here, but the school wanted to do something too so they organised a memorial at St Peter’s in Prestbury.

"To see so many people come and pay tribute to my father was a great comfort."

The inquest heard how Graham and Cyril had taken a stroll down to the beach on the last day of their holiday, where they played football with two German ladies.

Cyril said he lost sight of Graham in the water and added: "This German lady was coming back and she was frantically waving. I could see something floating in the water at that stage.

"We started to rescue him and bring him back to shore. We got him within about 20 yards off the sand. Everyone came out to try and help him. We tried to resuscitate him for at least 20 minutes.

"I couldn’t see anything because the waves were coming in over your head every 20 seconds. I didn’t see him."

Deputy coroner for Cheshire Janet Napier recorded a verdict of accidental death at the inquest on Friday (October 16). Recording an accidental death from immersion in water/drowning the Deputy Coroner for Cheshire Janet Napier said: "It seems he had a happy, nice holiday. He was still walking miles. And we do know he was leading an active life before his frightfully tragic death.

"He seemed a very delightful man. I’m sad this has happened."

Tim Scott, headteacher at the Beech Hall school, is hoping to create a permanent memorial to Graham at Beech Hall.

Graham was born in Manchester on August 29, 1939 and was a former apprenticeship cabinet maker. He served his national service before marrying Joan in 1965. He moved to Macclesfield in 1979 with his two children and separated shortly after.

Graham retired after 20 years service as a caretaker at Beech Hall School, but returned shortly afterwards to work part time as a minibus driver.

He also has one daughter, Francine Marshall, and four grandchildren, Ben, 11, Eve, seven, Martha, five, and six-month old Felicity.