A woman has been left heartbroken after her fiancé died unexpectedly while on holiday in Greece, with his final moments occurring during an excursion to observe turtles. Silvana Bernardes, 34, said Cameron Wallace, 33, had travelled to Zante with a friend on August 17 for a five-day getaway following a challenging period in his life.
But just a day later, catastrophe struck when Cameron went into the water during a boat excursion. Silvana said she had grown increasingly anxious after she hadn't heard from Cameron that morning, before his friend rang with the heartbreaking news.
A bad feeling and a devastating call
She said: "I woke up and for some reason I felt like something was wrong. His friend called and said, 'I don't know how to say this, something bad's happened'."
"I had a bad feeling. I just started screaming and saying 'no' and he said 'Cameron died' and I hung up the phone and just cried and sobbed."
Cameron's friend reportedly spotted him floating motionless just seconds after he entered the water. Silvana, who resides in Exeter, Devon, said: "They'd had lunch and a few drinks but nothing too much and then he went on a boat trip to find some turtles.
"Within a couple of seconds of being in the water his friend noticed that he wasn't responsive and was floating next to him."
CPR and hospital dash
His friend administered CPR before returning him to shore, where lifeguards took over. Cameron was subsequently transported to hospital, but tragically died before he could arrive.
Silvana said: "When he got to the hospital he was already dead. It's just terrible. He went there to have a nice time and take his mind off things and then this terrible thing happened."
A troubling few months and unanswered questions
Cameron's death followed a troubling few months. He suffered a seizure just two days after starting a new job as a team leader at a water company on May 13. Doctors initially thought stress could have been the cause, but he was subsequently prescribed medication after experiencing panic attacks and difficulties sleeping. He had also seen a neurologist on August 12 and was awaiting further tests.
His cause of death remains uncertain, leaving Silvana desperately seeking answers. She said: "We have been considering whether his death was due to the seizure. Did his heart just stop? Did he have a panic attack or a stroke?"
"Whatever they rule we'll go with that just to close the chapter and move on with things."
Bringing Cameron home
Silvana and Cameron had been together for over 10 years after meeting online in 2016. They got engaged in Colombia last December and had been making plans to wed in Vietnam in May 2028.
She said: "It's heartbreaking to lose him. It was so unexpected for me and his family."
Silvana is now hoping Cameron can be repatriated to the UK, with a fundraising campaign launched to help bring him home and support those closest to him. She said: "It will mean a lot for me and family and friends to give him his send-off and bring him home."
Paying tribute to her fiancé, she added: "There's not enough words to describe Cameron. He was a very kind man with a big heart of gold." She described him as someone who had a gift for making others laugh, always checking in on friends and spreading happiness to everyone he encountered.
"We have been really lucky because we had some lovely holidays and travelled the world and met some lovely people. We had so many plans and so many things we wanted to happen."
