Published: Tuesday, 16th June, 2009 9:51am

THE PAIN OF OUR LOSS NEVER LEAVES US

by Mike Farrell

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Widow says loch tradegy re-opened wounds

A RECENT tragedy in the waters where a Dumbarton man died 25-years ago brought back painful memories for his widow.

Anne Hume has just marked the 25th anniversary of the accident in which her husband Thomson, a keen fisherman, lost his life in Loch Awe.

Their children - Tracy, Jacqueline and Thomas - joined her this week in paying tribute to the caring and fun-loving man, known to many in Dumbarton as Tosh.

Tosh, of Castlehill, was out on a boat with fellow members of the fishing club set-up at the Alexandria Polaroid factory, where he worked.

In what the family described as a freak accident, the 33-year-old fell over the side of the boat and sadly drowned.

Twenty-five years on, it is still hard for Anne to talk about.

The 55-year-old told the Reporter: 'I remember that day well, it was beautiful weather and he was out on Loch Awe, where he used to go to a lot.

'He fell off the boat while he was wearing waders, so they unfortunately filled up with water and he was dragged under by the current.

'They didn"t recover his body for about sixteen days but I remember getting the knock on the door from the police the day he went over board.

'A few days after that one of the guys out on the trip with him came to our house with his fishing gear.

'When I was told he was missing it felt like a dream, it was completely unreal.

'It didn"t hit me at the time, but later, especially at his funeral at Cardross Crematorium, I really felt the loss.'

Four men lost their lives on March 20 this year after their boat had capsized during a fishing trip.

The two remaining bodies were only recovered from the Argyll loch on March 31 and were buried last week.

Anne said that this particular story resonated for her, as all of the deceased - the Carty brothers, Steven, 42, and William, 47, friends Thomas Douglas, 36, and Craig Currie, 30 - were of a similar age to her husband when he drowned.