THE family of a ‘gentle giant’ who tragically died in a boating accident have paid loving tribute to the man who would have done ‘anything for anyone.’

Keith Chew, from Accrington, had been fishing off the coast of Fleetwood on Sunday morning when the decommissioned vessel he was sailing in with his father got into difficulty about a mile off the coast.

Keith’s father, Keith Chew Senior, 71, and another man from Blackburn were rescued from the water but Keith Junior, 40, went down with the boat.

Now Mr Chew’s family have paid tribute to him following his tragic death.

Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, his sister Kelly Chew said: “The whole family is just in total shock at the moment but we felt it would be right to speak out about what a lovely kind man my brother was.

“He was a gentle giant and loved by everyone he everyone met. Nothing was ever too much trouble for him and he’d go to any length to help other people.

“He was a great son, fantastic brother, friend and uncle.”

Mr Chew was an avid Accrington Stanley fan and could often be found around the Wham Stadium on match days.

When not watching the football, he enjoyed nothing more than a couple of pints and karaoke, where his favourite song to sing was the Meatloaf classic, Bat Out Of Hell.

He had four siblings and lived at home with Keith Senior, where the would the pair go and do everything together.

Miss Leigh said: “My brother had learning disabilities but that never got in the way of him wanting to live his life.

“He followed dad around everywhere and they were members of the local biking club, Globe MCC Accrington.

“Now we’re all going to have to learn to live without him around.”

Mr Chew, who turned 40 at the start of May, had planned to have a celebration for his birthday before the coronavirus put an end to his plans.

In his honour, his family have now vowed to hold a memorial celebration to ensure that he gets the party he had planned for.

Miss Leigh added: “As soon as we can safely do so, we will hold a memorial and party to mark his life.

“We’re currently in the process of arranging the funeral and hope that we may be able to live stream it so that everyone who loved him can watch.

“We’ve also created a GoFundMe page to try and raise some donations so we can give him the send off that he deserves.”

The two survivors were taken by ambulance to hospital as a precaution suffering from shock and the effects of the cold water and are now both recovering at home.

The death is not being treated as suspicious and the matter will be referred to HM Coroner.

To read more about Mr Chew or to contribute towards his funeral and memorial costs, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/a-send-off-for-keith