The heartbroken family of the hero dad who died trying to save his daughter’s life flew out to Australia yesterday.
Paul Doran, 45, of the well-known Pat Doran Construction family in Co Kildare died when he heroically rescued his 11-year-old daughter.
The drowning tragedy occurred last Wednesday evening at Seven Mile Beach on Lennox Head, New South Wales, and just north of Sydney.
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A friend said the family is completely shattered over the tragic death and wanted to go to Australia to be close to their relatives.
The friend said: “They are numb with shock but they just want to be there.
“Nobody can quite believe what’s happened, it is beyond a tragedy to lose him in that way.”
Pals revealed the family had only moved to Australia in recent months and Paul’s mother Helen and father Paddy are broken-hearted.
Paul was swimming in shallow water with three children when his daughter was swept out to sea on a bodyboard.
Both he and his wife Simonne rushed into the waves and swam out to rescue her, but only Simonne and their daughter managed to get safely back to shore.
It took off-duty lifeguards 30 minutes to locate Paul’s body and, despite paramedics’ CPR efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Another friend said: “There are no words to lessen the pain, nothing that can be said to reduce the heartbreak the Doran family is feeling.
“It is cruel for his wife Simonne and their three children, dreadful for Helen and Paddy, and for Paul’s siblings Aoife, Emma, Sarah and Gavin and their extended families.”
Paul, from Tipperkevin in Ballymore Eustace, and Simonne worked with the family business before they relocated.
Locals in the Co Kildare village have paid tribute to him.
A friend said: “It is beyond sad to hear of Paul’s passing. He was such a wonderful soul.”
One of Paul’s colleagues, Jeff Colley, shared an emotional tribute and revealed his friend was the brains behind the plan for 600 new homes in the country’s largest social and affordable scheme at Shankill in Co Dublin.
He said: “Paul was one of the best and most forward-thinking builders I’ve ever encountered, a modest man who had a big impact.”
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