Emily used to love to swim, but even taking a bath after her partner’s death left her petrified
Bristol woman Emily Cooper and her late soulmate Vincent Le Goascoz – who drowned in 2023(Image: submitted)
An inspirational woman is facing a deep-rooted fear of water after her partner tragically drowned in the Bristol harbour.
‘Warm and kind’ teacher Vincent Le Goascoz died after falling into the water in December 2023 – his body was pulled from the water at Redcliff Quay days after he went missing.
Vincent, who was a language teacher at Fairfield High School in Horfield, was just 35-years-old when he drowned.
His bereaved partner, Emily Cooper, was left devastated by his death and has spoken about the “huge bouts of grief” she has experienced.
Emily, 34, has spoken to Bristol Live about how Vincent’s death has left her completely terrified of water.
But says she now wants to conquer that fear and “become the person Vince loved again” as the pair were both “water babies” and had loved to swim together.
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Emily said: “He used to call me his mermaid, but since Vince drowned I have been terrified of water.
“To the point where I struggled to bathe, and I resorted to only drinking bottled water as in my head tap water is the water that killed him.”
Now 18 months after his death, Emily has taken up the challenge of swimming the length of the English Channel – 22 miles – in order to try and get over her now “paralysing” fear of the water.
Emily some of Vincent’s ashes with friends in his home town of Brest, Brittany in France, this was his favourite beach(Image: submitted)
As part of the challenge she is also raising money for Diabetes UK, as Vincent was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes in his mid 20s.
Emily explained that “if it wasn’t for fundamental research into the disease, he would have left the world much sooner” and the pair would likely never have met and fallen in love.
She added: “I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to have met him, to spend the years loving him.
“Vince used his platform as a secondary teacher to also support students who suffered with the disease.”
Emily has now reached the half way point in her 22 mile challenge and has raised just under £700.
She has said that some of the swims are easier than others and on occasion she still finds herself completely consumed with grief and panic once in the water, but is determined to complete the challenge.
“We were water babies, we both loved the water,” she said.
“But since his death, I’d become petrified of water, but now I’m trying to conquer that – as it’s what he would have wanted. Vince used to say ‘you can’ t live your life in fear’.
“We were inseparable – he was the most incredible human and my soulmate. He was truly the most courageous, kind and beautiful soul, so to do this swimming challenge in his memory truly means the world.”
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