‘Gentle giant’ collapsed in front of mum and died
TRIBUTES have been paid to a “very friendly and cheerful” young man who died after collapsing at his home.
Owen Cable, who was 23, consulted his doctor about a suspected stomach bug the day before.
His father, Mark Cable, said desperate efforts were made to try to save Owen’s life after he collapsed in front of his mother, Jill.
“At about 5.30am my wife heard him get up – she went to check on him and he collapsed in front of her. She called 999,” Mark said. “Our next-door neighbours came around and did CPR until first response came and carried on with the CPR, before he was taken to Withybush Hospital.”
He said staff at the Haverfordwest hospital tried their very best to save Owen, but he died at around 9.30am that day.
A post-mortem examination revealed that Owen, who lived in
Crymych, Pembrokeshire, suffered a ruptured spleen. However, the cause of this has not yet been established and the family is awaiting more test results.
Mark described his son as a wellliked young man who was passionate about the army and had a successful future ahead of him.
“Owen was just a good kid at the end of the day, who never got into any trouble. He was very friendly and cheerful,” he said. “A lot of people have used the phrase ‘gentle giant’ when describing him, and he was. He was about six foot four and big built, but he was gentle – we never had any problems with him.”
Mark, a merchant seaman, described the painful moment when he learned about his son’s death while he was working away.
He said: “I’m in the Merchant Navy and I work away two weeks at a time. The day he died I was coming off the ship after working in Hull.
“I don’t have a phone while working, so my wife got hold of the coastguards to notify me. At first I thought it must have been something wrong with an older family member, but as soon as I heard my son had collapsed I left straightaway.
“I was on the A62 during a blizzard and stuck in traffic when I found out Owen died and I still had to drive home for four more hours. Owen was a strong fit young man, it was such a shock.”
Owen started cadets aged 12. He then reached Master Cadet Status before being appointed as Cadet Company Sergeant Major and the High Sheriff of Dyfed’s Cadet.
He had taken the cadet parachute course aged 17 and more recently had been appointed Cardigan Detachment Commander.
Owen was also interested in politics, and after finishing his degree in international politics and strategic studies at Aberystwyth University in 2017 he worked at Jewson builders’ merchants while he decided what to do next.
Mark said that his son had considered pursuing an internship in politics or going down an officer route in the army cadets, but hadn’t had a chance to explore this before his death.
“I went back to the cadets last Monday. It’s not the same as when he was there, but the cadets have decided they are going to get a plaque in his memory,” he said.
Mr Cable thanked his next-door neighbour, Colin Davies, who helped his wife give CPR, and his partner, Bethan, who directed the rapid response team at the home.
The family has asked for donations to be made to Crymych First Responders fund or Withybush Hospital accident and emergency department in Owen’s memory.