The sister of Haydn Griffiths who died at sea on a first date has said she will "never stop exploring" after travelling to the arctic circle to spread his ashes.
The 23-year-old disappeared into the River Mersey on what should have been a lovely first date, but Haydn, from Lowton, Wigan, died after being swept up in the waters at New Brighton beach on July 19. His family, who have said he was a strong swimmer, believe a jellyfish sting he suffered earlier in the evening may have affected his ability to swim and stay afloat.
Haydn's body was found four days later on July 23 at Pier Head. The former Lowton High School student was a passionate explorer and loved being in the water and surrounded by nature which is what led to his sister Megan travelling to Svalbard in Norway to scatter some of his ashes.
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He spent hundreds of hours on the water taking part in sailing competitions as well as working on superyachts and oil tankers across the continent. Megan decided to take a boat to the remote location of Svalbard to start off a journey to spread his ashes across the world, the Manchester Evening News reports.
She said: "We have a memory book where friends are sticking photos and writing memories of Haydn."
She added: “We’re spreading small amounts of Haydn’s ashes around the world when we go to cool places or on an adventure so that he will be everywhere and never stop exploring. You’ll find me outdoors in nature rather than mourning at a gravestone.”
Megan believes the ocean, mountains and ice glaciers were the perfect place for Haydn to continue his travels. Wearing her RNLI hat, 29-year-old Megan, alongside sister Brogan, dad Bryn and mum Diane, are now trying to raise as much awareness as possible of the dangers of swimming in open waters.
The family want people to learn from the tragedy, with them pointing out that even experienced swimmers can quickly find themselves in trouble. The family has also managed to raise thousands for the RNLI through their GoFundMe page in Haydn's honour.
Beneficiaries include the RNLI at Hoylake and New Brighton and a number of wildlife charities. A remembrance bench at Pennington Flash, where Haydn regularly helped out with the open water swims and sailing sessions, is also planned. The family additionally wants to help improve signage and awareness of water safety.
To donate to the GoFundMe page, click here.
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