Chris Lee: Tributes flow for Central Coast fisher who died ‘doing what he loved’ near Crowdy Head
He would go “above and beyond” for anyone who needed his help and has been remembered as a “kind, generous and loving soul” by his girlfriend Tarni Letherbarrow. Her “soulmate” Chris Lee, from the NSW Central Coast, died in a tragic fishing accident on the Mid-North Coast.
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The girlfriend of a popular Central Coast man and well renowned, experienced and respected fisherman Chris Lee has spoken about the tragic loss of her “kind, generous and loving soul”.
Chris, 26, died suddenly from a suspected medical episode on Wednesday while fishing in waters off Crowdy Head National Park, near Mermaid Reef.
His girlfriend, 24-year-old Tarni Letherbarrow, has remembered a him as man who had a zest for life and a passion for helping others.
“He had the biggest heart … he would just go above and beyond for the people around him.”
“He just wanted to be free and fishing allowed him that. This trip was a break from work. It was to go and explore a new place, it was a getaway for himself, a stress relief … but he only made it half a day.”
Chris and two other close friends, a father and son who he had once worked with in a fishing and tackle shop, were experienced fisherman with a good knowledge and understanding of the ocean.
They had organised a trip to Crowdy Head and launched separate boats about 6am on Wednesday. Chris was boating alone while the other two were together.
After several hours on the water, Chris landed a 78cm snapper – the biggest one of his life, Tarni said.
And he didn’t have to wait long until he hooked on to another big “monster”, the type that always seemed to be lurking around Chris’ magnetic rod and reel.
“They said it was a monster,” Tarni said.
To free him some room, his two friends veered their vessel out of harms way to let Chris weave his magic so that their lines didn’t cross.
But when they returned to see what he had caught, they noticed he was in the water and unresponsive.
It was here that they raised the alarm, leaping in to pull the him from the water and perform emergency CPR.
Their efforts were later praised by emergency services who assisted them with the resuscitation attempts back at shore.
Tarni said the 26-year-old had a history of epilepsy, but it had been nearly two years since his last episode.
“He had been managing his condition so well,” Tarni said.
“We’re just all really distraught.” I’m an only child and my mum feels like she has lost a child, and his parents literally have.”
The pair had been together for five years, but lived just a block from each other for about 15 years in the Central Coast suburb of Matcham before they met at a mutual friend’s party.
She said the last few months had been a busy time for Chris travelling long distances and working long hours as a support worker for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
“This trip [to Crowdy Head] was his time off, his time to get away to a new place.”
“He loved being out on the water and out on his boat fishing. That was that was his place of freedom where he could be truly himself.”
Tarni’s mother, Louise Flores, said he was a man who lived for adventure.
“He was like a cat with nine lives,” she said.
“He has had other accidents that he really should not have made it through, but this simple one … it is very suspected that he has had a seizure and fallen off the side of the boat.
“It was his passion … he just lived and breathed the ocean every waking minute.
“When he landed this job, he just built himself up, he went and got himself his ABN, he was doing so well.
“But he said to us that he just needed a break. he needed it.”
She said a full autopsy will performed to determine the exact cause of death.