It was 3am on the 25th April 2004 me and lee got up for a days fishing, my mate was picking us up at 5am, we couldn't wait to get out. Lee had been working all week and really looking forward to the fishing trip.

We set off from mumbles and decided to go right round the Gower coast to a place called Whitford lighthouse. That day the sea state was flat so we dropped anchor and started fishing. The sun was baking hot we were catching bass and plaice around 2pm in the afternoon. Later on we decided to up anchor and stop at a few different places on the way back, we stopped at a place called Burryholmes and were drifting for bass for about 20 minutes when I happened to turn around and see this big wave,  I said to Lee "hold on" and he did his knuckles were white with grip.

It happened that quick we didn't have time to to turn the bow of the boat into the big wave, then next thing BANG! It hit us. All I saw as the boat was capsizing was a red jacket flying over board that was my mate. The next thing I felt with was the deck of the boat on my head and I remember seeing bubbles so I followed them and found the air pocket in the cabin, Lee was already in there. I said to Lee don't talk to much so we could save the air in the air pocket.

After a while we heard banging on the upturned hull, it was our mate screaming are you all right, so we replied "yes" .

Lee said to me "dad we will do this together", So we linked arms and decided to make our way out, I took my lifejacket off. What a struggle with life jackets on in a capsized boat.

Me and Lee got all the way to the stern swallowing water (drowning) when we came across a fishing rod which had got trapped between the gunnels of the boat. I let go of Lee to remove the rod and saw Lee go back into the air pocket in the cabin. I yanked the rod out of the way, next thing i knew was that I'd popped out and was holding onto the engine using the prop, the prop was pointing in my face but luckily not running. I was blue with cold and shock and staring at what, I don't know.

I remember my mate was banging on the hull and talking to Lee the last words I heard from Lee was "IS MY FATHER OUT AND SAFE"

I was helped ashore and my mate stayed with the boat (Shetland Shelty) the boat was turned upright and Lee was gone,  I think he had kicked the window of the cabin out because the fibre glass was pointing outwards, if you know what I mean.

I was on the beach throwing up all the water I had swallowed and at the same time pointing out to sea and shouting out "MY BOY, MY BOY IS STILL OUT THERE!"

The coastguard arrived and wrapped us in blankets and took us to the ambulance, all I could see whilst going to hospital was blue lights going in the opposite direction. It took me 5 hours to get back down there, my wife was in a hell of a state

I searched the beaches for 16 days to find Lees body, even went to the local paper begging people to walk the beaches with me to find Lee.

One day the CID came with some items of clothing, they were Lees, then the phone rang, it was my brother he told me there was a lot going on down Llangenith, he had been down there handing out cards to people, which I didn't know about. I phoned the police shouting and screaming at this officer and I said I'm on my way down,  the officer said I'll phone you back in 2 minutes.

Eventually they phoned back, he'd phoned the officer in charge of the case and he had said to tell me the truth and he did.  A body had been found by Burryport RNLI, they had retrieved the body and it had been taken to Morriston hospital by police helicopter.

They tried to identify the body they had found by using dental records, but no joy, so me and my wife had to have a DNA tests, These test took 4 weeks to come back and were positive, It was Lee.

We finally laid lee to rest on 18th of June 2004 over 500 mourners attended to show there respects.

On Lees head stone we had an anchor placed on it and the words

"LOVED THE SEA, TAKEN BY THE SEA. 

They couldn't tell us how he died and the verdict was accidental death.

RIP LEE SON

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