Brit grandad drowns in horror snorkelling accident on dream Caribbean holiday with his wife
A BRIT grandad has drowned in a horror snorkelling accident on a dream Caribbean holiday with his wife.
Gareth Weekes, 77, was on a sailing trip in St Vincent and the Grenadines when the tragedy happened.
The avid sailor was enjoying the trip of a lifetime aboard a yacht with his wife Alison.
According to local media, the man got into the water off a small island where he later drowned.
Since his passing, tributes have poured in from far and wide.
His eldest daughter Veryan Cranston, 49, told the Daily Echo: "Dad died as he lived - taking risks, having adventures, exploring the world and approaching life with boundless enthusiasm and a gung-ho zest for new experiences.
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"We are glad he was having those adventures right up till the end."
His other daughter, Jenna Fansa, 43, added: "Dad took a very genuine interest in everyone he met – together with his wit and engaging writing style, this made him a very talented journalist.
"Kindness ran through everything he did.
"He was a wonderful father.
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"We are so very lucky to have had him."
The former editor for the Bournemouth Echo was remembered as a "local legend" by his community.
Born in Cardiff in October 1945, Weekes was the son of a miner.
He grew up in south Wales and worked for a firm of solicitors before building a career in journalism.
Under his leadership at the Bournemouth Daily Echo, the paper became the first in the country to offer a paedophile register.
It allowed organisations working with children to check the records of those applying for jobs with them.
He was originally married to primary school teacher Diane Weekes for 35 years until her death in 2004.
The couple had three children, Veryan, Bronwen and Jenna.
In 2007, he married Alison Hulls and the couple lived happily together in Clayhidon, Devon.
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Alison said: "Absolutely everyone described Gareth as a lovely man.
"He had enormous integrity and empathy with each person he met and this is reflected in the overwhelming reaction to his tragic and sudden death."