Chiswick Man Feared Dead in Holiday Boating Accident

Divers searching for Richard Chapelow in lake in Portugal

A 29-year-old man from Chiswick is feared dead after he was thrown from an inflatable being pulled by a speed boat while on holiday.

Richard Chapelow, who attended Latymer Upper School, was riding on the ‘banana boat’ on the Santa Clara Dam this Monday (20 August) afternoon.

Richard Chapelow

The lake is about 50 miles north of the Algarve and Mr Chapelow was with a group of friends.

Mario Batista, the local fire chief, said that there were four people on the inflatable who were all thrown from it at the time of Mr Chapelow’s disappearance. Another six from the group were in the boat that was towing it.

Specialist divers have been searching the lake since the accident but are becoming increasingly pessimistic that Mr Chapelow will be found.

Mr Chapelow graduated from Leeds University with a degree in environment and business and was working for a marketing agency near London Bridge.

He was staying at a home owned by Jon Hunt, the founder of the Foxtons estate agency chain, as a guest of his son Harry.

Mr Hunt said in a statement, “My family and I are devastated by the loss of Richard following a tragic accident at Santa Clara Dam. “Our thoughts and prayers are wholly with Richard’s family and we ask that both families are given space to grieve such a painful loss. We will be working with the Portuguese authorities to understand what has happened and are grateful to the local police and fire services. It is a time of great sorrow.”

August 22, 2018