A man described as a "lovely gentle giant" has died suddenly while on holiday with friends in Spain.
Dave Fearnley, also known as "big Dave" and "Crock", was on holiday with three friends when he started complaining of feeling sick. As his group went out for the night, the 68-year-old from Warrington, said he was feeling "awful" and was going to stay at the hotel.
Once his friends returned, he heard them enter the hotel and got up to have a drink of water with them. He told his friends how he still wasn't feeling great and went back to bed again.
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When his friends woke up the next day, November 5, they found Dave dead in bed and phoned for an ambulance. A close friend of the family, Sarah Golden, spoke to The ECHO on behalf of the family and described Dave as a "lovely gentle giant".
The 40-year-old from Wirral said: "The family are just in bits and completely devastated. No daughter or son expects their dad to go on holiday and not come back home.
"His friends [who were in Spain with him] were traumatised, because only two small guys came with the ambulance they had to help carry his body down the stairs and then fly back without their best mate. It's just awful in every sense of the word."
Dave has worked all over the North West as a doorman, with Sarah saying he would "say good evening to everyone" and make people "feel safe".
She told The ECHO : "He was just a really lovely man and a gentle giant. He worked as a doorman all of his life, but the nice kind. He was one of those who would say good evening to everyone as they went in and it would just make you feel like you were in a really safe place.
"He was well known by everyone. We lost an absolute legend way before his time."
Dave's body was flown back to the UK on Tuesday, November 15, and Sarah has now set up a GoFundMe page for the family, which will go towards funeral costs and a celebration of his life.
She said: "The family is just going through so much right now and Dave was such a big part of my life as he had known me since I was a baby and my dad was one of his best mates.
"I've set this page up to help raise money to go towards the funeral arrangements in the UK and to give him the best send off Warrington has ever seen. I know lots of people have offered and asked where they can donate to help the family with the funeral costs, so this should make it easier for everyone."
Dave leaves behind his brother, two children and grandson.
To donate to the GoFundMe page click here.
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