By Colin Maximin
A British man drowned on New Year’s Eve while on holiday in the Gambia, leaving his family devastated.
The relatives of Michael Clarke, from Yorkshire, said the much-loved father died while swimming in a pool at Mansea Beach Hotel, located in Kololi, on the Atlantic coast of the popular West African country. The tragedy happened on December 31.
At the time, the pool was unmanned, and there were reportedly no staff or lifeguards present to assist. After entering the pool, Mr Clarke, 64, is suspected to have suffered cardiac arrest, believed to have been triggered by the low water temperature. With no immediate help available, he drowned in the pool.
His family are trying to repatriate his body following the tragic accident and have set up a GoFundMe campaign to return the father to the UK. His daughter Victoria Walker says she needs to raise funds to repatriate her father’s body and bring him home.
She said: “My father had lived with depression for over 20 years, a condition he carried quietly and with resilience.
“In recent months, he had begun a genuine healing journey, focusing on his mental health and rebuilding a sense of peace. This trip was deeply significant, it was his first time travelling away in 20 years, something he had worked hard to feel ready for.
“What makes this loss especially painful is that this was meant to be a moment of renewal for him — a step toward life, not the end of it. Our family is still trying to process how a trip intended for healing and rest ended in such sudden tragedy.
Speaking from Sheffield, Victoria said that she would be very grateful for help and support which would help cover the funeral and repatriation costs. She said:” We are reaching out to ask for your help — any donation, no matter how small, will go directly toward bringing him home and giving him the farewell he deserves.”
The GoFundMe page set up in the man’s name has raised more than £1,200 from 40 donations and is aiming to raise $10,000 for his family.