Tributes to dad who died after sailing accident (From Western Telegraph)

Tributes to dad who died after sailing accident

8:50pm Saturday 7th July 2012 in News

Tributes have been paid to a 38-year-old father who died following a sailing accident.

Matthew Blacksell, from Keeston, was airlifted to Withybush Hospital after he was rescued from beneath his capsized dinghy, off Dale Fort. He died in hospital on Saturday, June 30th.

Emergency services were tasked to the incident after a Mayday call at 6:54pm on Thursday June 28th reported that a laser sailing dinghy had capsized and a crew member was trapped under the boat.

Dale yacht club safety boat, a local fishing boat, both Angle lifeboats, paramedics and the RAF rescue helicopter were all involved in the rescue and resuscitation efforts.

The rescue helicopter took Mr Blacksell to Withybush Hospital where he later died.

Friends and family have paid tribute to him on the social networking site Facebook.

"I was so sorry to hear about what tragically happened but our loss is someone else's gain," wrote childhood friend Steve Pugh. "You were such a clever and talented individual and will be extremely missed by everyone."

You were the best brother I could ever dream of," wrote his sister Lucy. "You packed 70 years of life experiences into 38."

His partner Fleur Roache simply wrote: "Love you forever."