A father of three died after trying to save two struggling paddleboarders in south-west Wales on Saturday, in an “absolutely heartbreaking” incident. Paul O’Dwyer died along with two female paddleboarders he was trying to help. A third woman was reported to be in a critical condition. O’Dwyer, 42, a former soldier, jumped into the water in an attempt to rescue two women in distress, but was later pronounced dead on the banks of the River Cleddau in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. “Paul put his own life on the line yesterday to make sure others were safe,” said a spokesperson for Aberavon Green Stars RFC, a rugby club O’Dwyer belonged to. The club paid tribute to O’Dwyer’s “infectious smile” and upbeat character, describing him as an “avid adventurer, whether he would be paddleboarding, surfing, skiing, walking or climbing, nothing was too small for Paul to achieve”. A group of nine paddleboarders were exploring the river on a weekend excursion when they got into difficulty near a weir. Dyfed-Powys police said they received reports of persons in distress shortly after 9am on Saturday. Emergency services – including 30 firefighters, the coastguard, RNLI and police helicopters – arrived at the scene and five people were rescued without injury. But O’Dwyer and two women lost their lives and another woman was being treated in intensive care at a local hospital on Sunday. O’Dwyer died “attempting to save two of the girls also in distress due to an unexpected downpour”, said Vickie Mckinven, who was on the trip but pulled out of the morning paddleboard over weather concerns. It is “absolutely heartbreaking”, Mckinven said, adding that O’Dwyer “did so much to raise money for charities”. O’Dwyer cofounded charity SA1UTE, which supports veterans in south Wales, and previously was a soldier with the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers 108 Welsh Squadron militia. “He was relentless in his drive for raising money for charity,” SA1UTE said in a tribute to O’Dwyer, adding: “We have lost a friend that gave so much of his life to help others. It still hasn’t sunk in, that these tragic events have taken away someone in the prime of their life. “Paul had a real zest for life and always took things head on with a smile on his face.” O’Dwyer helped raise more than £4,000 for charity in recent weeks by paddling down the River Wye in 24 hours, navigating the 100 miles from Glasbury to Tintern Abbey. He also organised an event in September that raised more than £2,000 for the RNLI and a local lifeguard club. Dyfed-Powys police said the victims’ next of kin were being supported by specialist officers. DCI Jonathan Rees said police were investigating what provoked the tragedy, and called on the public to report any information or submit potential video footage. “At this stage, my thoughts and the thoughts of my colleagues are with the family of those who lost loved ones, and of the injured person who remains in hospital,” DCI Rees said. DCI Rees urged the public – with paddleboarding growing in popularity – to “ensure they understand the weather conditions and water conditions at a particular location where they may be enjoying that sport”. Salty Dog Co, a watersports clothing shop based in Port Talbot that was involved in the excursion, paid tribute to O’Dwyer. “It is with heavy heart that we say goodbye to our salty dog Paul,” Salty Dog tweeted on Saturday. “A lovely human being taken too soon. Our thoughts and prayers are with your friends and family. You will be missed greatly.”