The son of the pensioner who drowned with his friend while holidaying in Goa has paid tribute to his father.

Pensioner Stanley Horne, 69, and 37-year-old Liesel Clare Smith, were swimming in the sea at Morjim, North Goa, on Sunday when they died.

Mr Horne's eldest son, David, lives in Selkirk Road, Dover, with his wife Heather, and their two daughters. They are full-time foster carers and have two foster children.

David Horne said they only found out about the tragedy when his brother phoned and said: "Dad’s dead".

"That’s all we knew so I contacted the Foreign Office and when I was waiting to hear from them, I typed his name into the computer and it confirmed it.

"They had identified him almost immediately," said David.

"From what I’ve read in local Indian papers he was picked up by fishermen about half an hour after he went missing.

"I’m shocked. I feel sad that he died in this manner. I just hope it was quick."

Mr Horne, from Dover, was divorced and had two other sons, Ian who lives near Gillingham and Matthew in Chatham, and a daughter, Rebecca in Devon.

He spent part of the new year period with his daughter and his new granddaughter who was born on January 7.

"It was nice that he saw the new baby because she was a little bit early. She came before he went so he spent a bit of time with her," said David.

"He was a quiet and introverted chap. He liked reading, listening to the radio. Always helpful and very hard working.

"He worked hard all his life and he deserved his retirement."

David said his father had been in India for four or five years on a six-month tourist visa.

"Liesel had just arrived there last Tuesday for a holiday."

Contrary to reports, Mr Horne said Ms Smith was not his father’s carer "She was just a friend, an old work colleague."

A total of 40 British tourists died in Goa last year, and a further 10 have died in the region this year. The death of Mr Horne and Ms Smith takes 2008’s death toll to 12.