A British businessman was found dead after drowning while snorkeling with his son in the Dominican Republic on December 29.

Ian Greg Simpson, 55, rented a villa by the beach where he planned to spend the New Year holiday with his family in Maria Trinidad Sanchez province.

The entrepreneur reportedly went out for a walk along the shore at Caleton de Bruno beach in the town of Cabrera with his teenage son and went swimming.

But after snorkeling for a while, the youngster was reportedly worried when his father failed to surface and shouted for help.

An onlooker told local media: "The man went to the sea to swim. But strong waves might have pushed him further into the deeper parts".

Rescue volunteers arrived at around 1 pm and boarded a wooden boat along with fishermen to search around the area.

However, he was found at a different beach, El Puerto, as choppy waters battered the rescue team.

The video shows the condition of the sea, with strong waves breaking far out from the beach.

The local men pulled Ian's lifeless body ashore. He was taken to Doctor Virgilio Garcia Hospital, where medics certified the cause of death as asphyxiation by drowning.

Javier Mendez, who was among the group who helped to bring Ian ashore, said he was near the beach when a group of men asked him to help with the search.

He said: "We knew there was a missing tourist so we went out in a small boat to find him. He was floating on the surface of the water. He was already dead when we brought him into the boat".

Ian, whose passport says he was born on August 1, 1967, is believed to have been the owner of TFS Wood Stoves.

The listed director of Timber Fire & Stone Ltd, which trades as TFS Wood Stoves, Ian Gregory Simpson, has the same date of birth of August 1, 1967.

A British businessman was found dead after drowning while snorkeling with his son in the Dominican Republic.

Ian Greg Simpson, 55, rented a villa by the beach where he planned to spend the New Year holiday with his family in Maria Trinidad Sanchez province.

The entrepreneur reportedly went out for a walk along the shore in Caleton de Bruno beach in the town of Cabrera with his teenage son and went swimming on Thursday.

But after snorkeling for a while, the youngster was reportedly worried when his father failed to surface and shouted for help on Thursday December 29.

An onlooker told local media: ‘The man went to the sea to swim. But strong waves might have pushed him further into the deeper parts.'

Rescue volunteers arrived at around 1 pm and boarded a wooden boat along with fisherman to search around the area.

However, he was found at a different beach, El Puerto, as choppy waters battered the rescue team.

Video shows the condition of the sea, with strong waves breaking far out from the beach.

The local men pulled Ian's lifeless body ashore. He was taken to Doctor Virgilio Garcia Hospital, where medics certified the cause of death as asphyxiation by drowning.

Javier Mendez, who was among the group who helped to bring Ian ashore, said he was near the beach when a group of men asked him to help with the search.

He said: 'We knew there was a missing tourist so we went out in a small boat to find him. He was floating on the surface of the water. He was already dead when we brought him into the boat.'

Ian, whose passport says he was born on August 1, 1967, is believed to have been the owner of TFS Wood Stoves.

The listed director of Timber Fire & Stone Ltd, which trades as TFS Wood Stoves, Ian Gregory Simpson, has the same date of birth of August 1, 1967.

The company is registered at a home address in Newton Valence, Hampshire, with Tara Simpson, also known as Tara Jane Betts also a director. TFS Wood Stoves has a shop 30 miles away in Chobham, Surrey.

When called today, Tara, a yoga teacher, said she 'did not want to talk'. She did not give any more comment.