Freddie and Bobby Brazier's granddad's tragic death – as dad Jeff says 'we struggle'

ok.co.uk:

Reality TV star Jeff Brazier bravely shared his emotions on the tragic loss of his father, Stephen Faldo, who died a shocking and infamous boat disaster.

Jeff, at 45, is a doting father himself and confessed a few years ago that he only then felt prepared to delve into the details of that fateful day in 1989, when two ships collided on London's River Thames.Taking to Instagram at the time, with an old photo of his dad, Jeff penned a heartfelt post: "Meet Stephen Faldo, my biological father that fate was cruel enough to ensure I would never get to meet." Jeff reflected: "Due to all of the self development I've done I seem to 'feel' more than I suppress these days so I've spent most of today feeling an absence of something I wished I'd experienced, something I would have had from 13 onwards but was simply denied by some rather s**t luck.

Back in the early hours of 20 August 1989, the pleasure boat Marchioness sank after being hit twice by the dredger Bowbelle.The Marchioness had been hired for the evening for a birthday party and had about 130 people on board – it took just 30 seconds to sink, with the heartbreaking incident claiming 51 lives.

Jeff's dad, Stephen, was the captain of the Marchioness, having worked on the Thames since he was 17. He was 29 when he died in that night.