Silvana Bernardes, 34, has been left heartbroken after her fiancé, Cameron Wallace, 33, died suddenly during a boat trip to spot turtles while on holiday in Zante, Greece. Cameron had flown to the island with a friend on 17 August for a five-day break following a challenging period in his life. Just a day later, tragedy unfolded when he went into the water during the excursion.
Silvana said she grew concerned after failing to hear from Cameron that morning, before his friend rang with the heartbreaking news.
"I woke up and for some reason I felt like something was wrong," she said. "His friend called and said, 'I don't know how to say this, something bad has happened'."
"I had a bad feeling," Silvana added. "I just started screaming and saying 'no' and he said 'Cameron died' and I hung up the phone and just cried and sobbed."
Friend spotted him floating unresponsive
Cameron's friend reportedly spotted him floating unresponsive mere seconds after he entered the water, the Mirror reports. Silvana, who lives 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."
His friend administered CPR before getting him back to shore, where lifeguards continued efforts. Cameron was then rushed to hospital, but tragically died before arrival.
"When he got to the hospital he was already dead. It's just terrible," Silvana said. "He went there to have a nice time and take his mind off things and then this terrible thing happened."
Cause of death remains unexplained
Cameron's death followed a concerning period of several months. He had suffered a seizure just two days into a new role as a team leader at a water company on May 13. Medical professionals initially thought stress might have been the trigger, but he was subsequently given medication after experiencing panic attacks and sleep disturbances. He had also attended an appointment with a neurologist on August 12 and was awaiting additional tests.
The cause of his death remains unexplained, leaving Silvana searching desperately for answers.
"We have been considering whether his death was due to the seizure," she said. "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."
Fundraising appeal to bring him home
Silvana and Cameron had been in a relationship for over a decade after connecting online in 2016. They got engaged in Colombia last December and had been making arrangements to wed in Vietnam in May 2028.
"It's heartbreaking to lose him," she said. "It was so unexpected for me and his family."
Silvana is now hoping Cameron can be brought back to the UK, with a fundraising appeal launched to help return him home and provide support for his loved ones. "It will mean a lot for me and family and friends to give him his send-off and bring him home," she said.
Paying tribute to her fiancé, Silvana 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 around him.
"We have been really lucky because we had some lovely holidays and travelled the world and met some lovely people," Silvana added. "We had so many plans and so many things we wanted to happen."
