As Constable Stephen Symons left for work early because of Hurricane Fabian, his mother told him to 'be safe' and said she loved him.

An hour later, she would pick up her telephone to be told the awful news that Stephen had died, killed by a storm that devastated Bermuda.

Stephen Antoine Symons 'Chicken', 37, was one of two officers escorting Station Duty Officer Gladys Saunders, back to her home in Duck's Puddle, Hamilton on this day, five years ago, when the category three hurricane hit Bermuda.

Halfway across the Causeway at about 2.30 p.m., the Police car appeared to stall and although firefighters tried to save the stranded officers they had to retreat because of the worsening weather.

Reports at the time said the three Police personnel, P.C. Symons, P.C. Nicole O'Connor, 29, and Gladys Saunders, 48, might have got out of their car because it had stalled, or that it could not carry on because of debris on the road.

Civilian Manuel Pacheco, 23, a Corporation of Hamilton worker who was returning home after securing his boat in St. David's, also became trapped on the Causeway that day and was never seen again. A wave, or a combination of a wave and wind, may have washed them into the sea.

Both cars were recovered the next morning, but only the body of P.C. Symons was found, near the oil docks of Ferry Reach the Sunday after the storm.

Though they may have had closure from laying his body to rest, his mother Roselyn 'Rozzie' Symons and the officer's grandmother Cecily Tuzo said five years on, that it was as if not a day has gone by

.As tears welled-up in her eyes, Ms. Symons said: "It seems like it just happened yesterday. It has been five years and it doesn't seem like it. "It can't be like one person tells me 'as Judge Judy says get over it'.

When it comes to a loved one you never get over it."When you walk in our shoes, then you would understand but until then you would never understand.

"I used to tell people Iunderstand how you feel, but I didn't. Now it has happened to me, Iunderstand.

"When he left, I told him to be safe and he said 'not a problem', but then they called me about 2.45 p.m. The funniest part was everybody else lost their telephone, but mine stayed on.

"He had called me around 2.15 p.m. and he said to me 'mom, go around the house and get my BBQ and bring it around on my porch'."His last word to her were 'you know something, love you'.

"I said love you too. He died doing what he liked to do best serving his country," said Ms. Symons.P.C. Symons, who had been in the Police force for 18 years, had just returned from a cruise with his son, Stephen Antoine II.

His grandmother, who would have her grandson at her house every weekend since he was aged 11, and who is more his mom then grandmom, still keeps his office set-up in her home.

On September 5, five years ago she had hoped to catch up with him about his vacation but P.C. Symons was in a rush after he was called in for 1.30 p.m. rather than his 4 p.m. shift because of the oncoming storm.

Now, Ms. Tuzo finds comfort in speaking to the pictures of her grandson who was her right-hand-man. "Something like that I will hang on to. No matter how many years have passed the memories won't go away."

For me it wouldn't. I remember him every day," she said.

"That morning he was bouncing around saying he was going to take his son on a cruise again for Christmas. He left home saying 'I love you mom' and a half-hour later they called to say he had been swept off the road.

"He was the right and left hand, eyes, everything. At a time like that you're surprised how strong you can be.

"If I had stopped to think... well it just becomes automatic you make sure this is secure and that is secure.

"I go into the office and I talk up a storm and I do it all the times. That's where we would talk anything I wanted to do concerning the house he would do.

P.C. Symons graduated with distinction from the Bermuda College with a degree in motor mechanics and excelling in his position as a Police officer, he was given a commendation in July 1999 for helping to apprehend two men who had escaped from the co-ed facility in St. George's.

Though his 13-year-old son Stephen, does not plan to be an officer, Ms. Symons said he recalls his father with such love it's as if he is the only person with a father.

"The little time he spends here he always talks about daddy this and daddy that. You cannot do steak like daddy's steak," she said.

"Having him around brings comfort because he will be the only grand child I will ever have and the only great grand child that she (Ms. Tuzo) will ever have. We wish we could have him more; he is not here the way he should be."