Grieving mum says family is heartbroken after man died while swimming in the sea
The heartbroken mum of a dad-of-six, who tragically drowned while swimming in the sea, has paid tribute to her son. Matthew Collins, 39, from Maidstone, sadly lost his life on October 18 at North Foreland.
Melanie Collins-Brett, Matthew's mum, told KentLive: "He was loved by so many people he was a loving person with such a big heart even when he was suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The hospital worked on him for two hours without success we were told as a family."
She also thanked the rescue teams for their efforts and issued a warning about the dangers of the sea. She said: "Please just don't go in the sea, especially in remote areas where there is no one to help if you get into difficulties its too dangerous think before you swim you can't see the currents."
Matthew's funeral will take place on November 7 at 11.30am at Thanet Crematorium. He had been working in sales until he developed PTSD after a violent attack while returning home from the pub. His step-sister, Debbi Brett, has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the funeral costs and support his children.
Debbi shared on the fundraising page: "He was the most loving, caring gentleman and was loved by many. As you can imagine this has come as a massive shock and was unexpected so I'm asking if we could all pull together and give Matt the best send off that he deserves."
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
"Any funds raised will help pay towards his funeral cost and if there is any left over it will be split between his babies to give them some support."
To contribute to Matthew's fund, visit here. The address for Thanet Crematorium is Manston Rd, Margate CT9 4LY.
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