'Gaping hole' left by loss of dad-of-two

THE sister of a much-loved ambulance worker known for his “cheeky smile and infectious laugh” has paid tribute to him, describing his death as leaving a “gaping hole” in her family.

- ROBERT DALLING

Tomos Griffiths, originally from Birchgrove in Swansea, died on Sunday, July 20. His family believe the 33-year-old took his own life.

Mr Griffiths, a father of two young daughters, worked for South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, as a well-respected member of its emergency operations centre team in Bristol, where he was a clinical team leader.

He had first followed his sister Nina, a paediatric nurse, to Cheltenham to follow a career as a paramedic, something he flourished in and was “incredibly passionate” about.

Paying tribute to her brother, Nina Griffiths said: “We're all massively devastated. He was so young, and to die like that, it’s such a tragedy.

“He had been up and down for the past few years. The last time I saw him was at the end of June. We went for food and he said he was in a better place. It was a shock, we'd hoped he had been feeling better.

“He had reached out for help from mental health services, but must have got to a point where he felt that wasn’t going to work. I think it is a societal problem, especially with young men, who aren’t encouraged to talk in the way women are.

“It has been a really, really difficult time for us all. It has helped to see all the wonderful comments people have said about him and put online and also people that he has treated in the community. It has been a comfort to read those.”

Mr Griffiths was a former Birchgrove School pupil and Swansea College and Swansea University student, and grew up in Birchgrove with sister Nina and brother Dan. He enjoyed kickboxing and playing football, and supported Swansea City Football Club.