A beloved father and talented chef tragically drowned while spearfishing just days before he was supposed to sail around the world with his family.
Collin Martins, 37, was diving at Red Bluff, a tourist destination about 150 kilometers north of Geraldton, Western Australia, on September 17 when he failed to surface.
He had just sold the house he shared with his wife Gabrielle and their two young children, Sol and Louis, ages four and two, to buy a catamaran and sail to the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia.
The family planned to leave for a trip last weekend.
Mr Martins, affectionately known as “Coco” to his loved ones, grew up near Bordeaux, France, before coming to Sydney with dreams of becoming a chef.
He eventually moved to Margaret River, where he bought his first boat and fell in love with traveling to remote islands around the world on surf trips.
A friend said the father aspired to leave hospitality behind and open a surf and dive shop after returning from the trip.
He and his family had sold all their possessions for their adventure, including their house and car.
Father-of-two Collin Martins (pictured) has been identified as the spearfisherman who tragically failed to resurface at Red Bluff in rural Washington on September 17, just days before a family trip.
His wife will now have to sell the catamaran she considers her home because she cannot sail it alone.
Tributes to the beloved father have poured in on social media, with many honoring him as an adventurous man full of love.
“Practicing one of your passions does not change the deep sadness we feel,” wrote a friend.
‘Building a wonderful life of love and adventure, having suddenly and prematurely ended it, what could be crueler than this blind destiny?’
‘His spirit and passion were contagious. Their openness and candor, authenticity and integrity. A truly special human being. Inviting me to stay at his house during a bad patch. “I will never forget it,” said another.
Margaret River winery Wills Domain founder Darren Haunold remembered Mr Marins as a chef who “worked tirelessly” at the venue.
“We mourn the untimely passing of Collin Martins, a great chef, loving partner and devoted father,” Haunold wrote.
Another local restaurant, The Spot Italiano, announced Sunday that it will be closed to “honor the memory of a dear friend, Collin Martins, who passed away too soon.”
Martins and his family (pictured) sold most of their possessions to buy a boat and sail to the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia on the trip of a lifetime.
TO GoFundMe has jumped in to help Mr. Martin’s family.
“On Tuesday, September 17, our beloved, adventurous and free-spirited Coco passed away in a heartbreaking accident,” the fundraiser read.
‘Gabrielle, Sol and Louis have lost a beloved husband and father. And her family and friends are devastated that Coco was taken away too soon.
‘Our aim is to alleviate some of the immediate financial pressures they will face, such as housing management and costs related to moving and selling the boat.
“We hope this gives them space to grieve and adjust without additional stress.”
The fundraiser has received more than $16,000 from 144 donations.
