A TAMWORTH man who lost his life diving off the south Devon coast died doing what he loved best, his fiancée has said.

Fifty-four-year-old Bob Tucker, who shared a home in Two Gates with fiancée Mandy Roden, died of natural causes.

Bob became interested in diving when Mandy bought him a birthday present of scuba-diving lessons in 2007.

She told the Herald: "He absolutely loved it. He went on to do other courses and then he joined Lutterworth Sub Aqua Club.

"It was a whole new hobby for him, he regretted not learning sooner. He loved to see the fish and the sealife, it fascinated him."

Bob had travelled down to Devon on Thursday, April 22.

Mandy said: "He did a couple of dives on the Friday and he phoned to say what a fantastic time he was having.

"He had seen a Moray Eel and was telling me the colours of the fish he had seen.

"He said he was going to buy a book so he could identify some of them. Then he asked me to record Dr Who and said he'd phone me the next day."

But sadly Bob's call never came. He was reported missing to Brixham Coastguard after diving off Salcombe on the wreck of The Maine on the Saturday lunchtime. His body was recovered the following day by police divers.

Bob, who has two grown-up children and two grandchildren, worked as a Materials Analyst at Terex in Coventry.

Mandy said: "He was an experienced and safety-conscious diver and he was fit and healthy.

"I have been told that whatever happened it was incredibly sudden and he would have known nothing about it.

"Bob loved life – his family nickname was 'bouncy Bob' because he walked on the balls of his feet, he was full of energy.

"It's a tremendous comfort to me to know he died doing something he loved."

A keen West Bromwich Albion fan and a qualified football referee, Bob also enjoyed

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martial arts and was a member of a karate club based at the SnowDome, where he had almost achieved his black belt.

The club plan to award him an honorary black belt.

Bob's funeral details have yet to be arranged, but the service will be held at St Editha's Church in Tamworth town centre.