Near death experience

This is a story that has been with me for nearly 40 years. My Dad worked hard and at a young age 37 in 1968 suffered a severe heart attack that left him almost bed ridden. It was the early days of heart and by pass surgery, finally in 1971 he undertook what was then a 50/50 survival operation to bypass his damaged heart. This operation lasted the good part of a day then and the re-coupment time was 6 months. During this operation like many these days the heart is stopped and clinically the human body is deceased for a short period of time.

Some years passed and my dad not a religious man nor having any interest in paranomal or like subjects one day explained his near death experience to me.

He found himself travelling down a pathway with sides and a apparent top very tunnel like only to some how appear at the end on a beach. He until his death in 1988 said this was the most relaxed and at peace he had ever felt. He had no money,no food and did not really even feel concerned although he wondered why he had lack of concern. He felt the presence of his deceased mother and sister. He just walked along the beach. The peace and serenity overwhelmed him. Upon recalling this in his mind just after he claimed he felt guilty that he really did not want to go back. in fact he was reluctant to go back as he refered to it. Compared to a dream he always said it felt real a dream is a dream this was real.
Not a spectacular recount of this event but for my father to discuss this it was a moment of glory.
I would be keen to find out your..

This seems to be the popular progression of near death experiences.

A very unpleasant sound/noise is the first sensory impression to be noticed (R. Moody: Life after Life);
A sense of being dead;
Pleasant emotions; calmness and serenity;
An out-of-body experience; a sensation of floating above one's own body and seeing the surrounding area;
Floating up a blue tunnel with a strong, bright light or garden at the end;
Meeting deceased relatives or spiritual figures;
Encountering a being of light, or a light (often interpreted as being the deity or deities they personally believe in);
Being given a life review (the "life-flashing-before-your-eyes" phenomenon);
Reaching a border or boundary;
A feeling of being returned to the body, often accompanied by a reluctance.
Feeling of warmth even though naked.