Man who drowned saving family was selfless, says brother

Remo Douglas drowned along with his girlfriend's niece after the river they were swimming in surged

A man who died trying to save his young family from drowning on a trip to Jamaica was "bubbly and selfless", his brother has said.

Remo Douglas, 34, of Bristol, managed to save his girlfriend, baby and stepdaughter from a surging river due to heavy rain on 16 December.

But Conate Douglas said his brother had drowned along with his partner's 11-year-old niece.

Mr Douglas said his brother was "the life and soul of a party".

He said friends and family were "heartbroken".

"He would never cause any trouble for any one," he added. "He would brighten up any room that he was in. Very bubbly.

"The plan was to go to the river for a little swim. But it was raining upstream and the water started to get deeper fast.

Brother Conate (pictured third from the left) says his family is devastated by Remo's death

"Everyone is shocked and heartbroken. It's devastating for me. He was my brother and friend as well.

"He was a funny person who loved to make people laugh. He was the life and soul of the party."

His mother, Euthlyn Douglas, said everyone was feeling the devastation and loss.

"He tried to save her but the water just washed them away," she said. "When I heard about what happened, I ran up and down and said 'it's a lie, it's not happening'.

"It was just that morning when my husband spoke to him. He died saving another," Ms Douglas added.

"Everybody is crying because everybody loves him. He's a kind, jolly person."

The Douglas family has said they plan to have his funeral in Jamaica and a friend, Lauroy Allen, has set up a fundraiser to help the family with costs.

He wrote on the GoFundMe page: "This go fund me has been set up to try and raise £6,000.

"[He was] a special man who lost his life trying to save another, a true hero. A selfless act that we will never forget.

"A man who cared about others to the very end. Remo Douglas was a beautiful soul taken far too soon."

A vigil is being held in Easton, in Lansdown Court later.