The father of "shy, tender-hearted" Martin Molinski said yesterday he knew his son would not be found alive moments after hearing he had disappeared in Bermuda.

Dennis Molinski, 61, told The Royal Gazette he received a phone call at his home in Portugal late last Thursday from Martin's flatmate to say he was missing.

"I just got down on my knees and started crying, the uncontrollable way you would cry after somebody died," said the father-of-13, who arrived on the Island on Tuesday to take his son's body back to the UK.

"I just cried out to God and asked him for help. As I was praying, I had the vision of Martin being in Heaven with my father. From that point I knew, even though I was hoping and praying that he was well.

"Most parents have that connection with their loved ones. You know they are not there any more."

British guest worker Martin, 26, was last seen by flatmate Nicholas Barrett at their Spanish Point home on the evening of Wednesday, March 17.

His clothes were found the next day at nearby Admiralty House Park and his body was discovered by two tourists exploring the coastline at Tobacco Bay, St. George's, on Sunday morning.

Police said at the weekend that the death did not appear to be suspicious and that an autopsy would be done. A spokesman said yesterday there was no further update on the inquiry.

Mr. Molinski Sr., an American missionary, has been joined here by brother-in-law Jerry Meaney, from New Jersey, who is Martin's uncle.

The pair were yesterday still waiting to meet Police to find out more but had visited the spot at Admiralty House Park where Martin, a vinyl fabricator, is believed to have gone into the water.

Mr. Meaney, 60, said: "We don't know why he had gone down there by himself. It's a very calm area but it's very slippy. Maybe he slipped and fell."

Martin was the fifth of six children Mr. Molinski Sr. had with his first wife, who is English. He remarried and has seven children from that union.

Martin grew up in northeast England, Spain and Portugal and his 12 siblings, aged 11 to 35, live around the globe. He was planning a trip to Bali with one of his brothers to visit a sister.

Mr. Molinski Sr. works for the Family International Christian fellowship and his son, who came to live here six months ago, did humanitarian work in his youth for the organisation in Sarajevo and Mozambique.

"Martin was on the shy side," said his father. "He wasn't a boastful kind of person. He was a tender-hearted person. He was a very good worker. He was very sacrificial. We had a large family and he helped a lot. He's a great cook."

Mr. Meaney said his nephew was upbeat the last time he spoke to him, loved life here and was training for a triathlon.

"He was somebody you would like to go to the pub with," he said. "He was a very pleasant young man, easy to get along with, easy to talk to."

The pair said they were overwhelmed with the help they have received since arriving here, from locals and expatriates alike. "I'm being buoyed up in this bubble of love," said Mr. Molinski Sr.

His son's death would not be in vain, he said, as it was already helping unite family members around the world.

"The death of Martin has unified us as a family as we have never been unified before. Right now it might be very difficult, but I think eventually it's going to cause healing."

l A celebration of life service for Martin is planned for 6 p.m. today at Admiralty House Park, followed by a reception at Docksiders. The funeral will take place in Darlington, England.