Eric DeSilva left behind a legacy of fun and laughter according to those who knew him best.

Sixty-year-old Sandys Parish resident Mr. DeSilva was the victim of a drowning on Tuesday afternoon, when he decided to take an afternoon swim while out boating in Dockyard.

And according to his friends and family he will be sorely missed, but remembered fondly.

"Eric was a guy who could get along with anybody," said his former Somerset Country Squire boss and cousin Donald Hassell. "He could do anything - he was a pretty handy type of guy.

"He'd been working on that boat for about a year or so," Mr. Hassell said. "And that was the first day he ever went out in it."

And Mr. Hassell recalled the last time he had spoken to his good friend.

"At about two o'clock (Tuesday) he came into the boat club dock in front of us," Mr. Hassell said. "Then he must have gone out again - sometimes you never know."

Mr. Hassell said:"He was sort of like the honorary Harbourmaster up here," he said. "He worked here at the Country Squire doing maintenance and other jobs.

"He liked to play his guitar, he was always strumming - and he always liked to fish, he especially liked hogfish.

Police said Mr. DeSilva experienced difficulty while swimming in the water in Lagoon Park, Dockyard.

Witnesses rushed to the scene to find Mr. DeSilva lying face down in the water.

Police were called and Mr. DeSilva was rushed to King Edward Memorial VII Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police said there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding Mr. DeSilva's death and are awaiting the findings of a coroner's report.