Comedian Guy Williams announced that his father, Gary “Gazza” Williams, died on Saturday, Nov. 8, following a heart attack at a New Zealand beach.

Guy paid tribute to his 72-year-old father in a heartfelt Instagram post on Tuesday, Nov. 11. Gary died after he suffered a heart attack while swimming at Kohimarama Beach in Auckland, New Zealand, the comedian said.

First responders were alerted to the emergency around 11:20 a.m. local time, according to New Zealand publication Stuff. Gary was removed from the water, and emergency services administered CPR in an effort to resuscitate him. He was then pronounced dead at the scene.

Guy wrote on his Facebook page that his father “went out in typical showman fashion, having a heart attack during a swim with his mates at the ‘high tide club.’ ” He added that his father picked Saturday afternoon for “maximum impact.”

As Guy continued, he thanked the beachgoers and the High Tide Swim Club for their “incredible work” after they grabbed his father and brought him onto a paddleboard. “I hope you’re not too shaken by the whole experience, dad never wanted to cause a fuss,” he wrote.

He also shared gratitude for the firefighters, ambulance first responders, and police officers for helping Gary and giving him “a VIP exit.”

Guy wrote in his Facebook post that his father was “a beautiful, incredibly kind and friendly man,” adding that Gary “always was friendly and happy and seemed to live to just want to make everyone around him feel good.”

The comic also noted how involved his father was in his and his siblings’ childhoods. “He was always there for every awards ceremony or party, win, lose or draw, and I have cried a lot thinking happy thoughts about how lucky I was to have him as my father,” Guy said.

He credits their father for the siblings’ collective “irreverent sense of humour,” adding, “he taught us that a laugh was a laugh!” 

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Guy offered insight into Gary’s life beyond fatherhood, sharing that he was an avid cricket and table tennis player and that he represented Bermuda in the World Table Tennis Championships. Later, he coached Guy’s rugby and cricket teams.

“I learned a lot from my dad as a coach, he was a patient and thoughtful leader, who didn’t have time for d——–,” he wrote, adding that Gary also shared a nugget of wisdom to other young local athletes: “Ability is one thing, reliability is everything.”

“Rest in peace Dad! Love you heaps,” Guy wrote.