HOPE was fading today for a missing man whose father survived after their boat capsized at sea.

And his twin sister was today sick with worry and praying for a second miracle.

The dream fishing trip turned to tragedy for John Brodie, 45, and his 23-year-old son, Charles, during the maiden voyage of their 14 ft cabin cruiser, Chaz's Dream, off North Wales. They pair, both said to be experienced sailors, were flung into the sea when the vessel was hit by a freak wave and capsized.

They struggled to stay afloat using a pair of waders as waterwings, but after six hours clinging together Charles, who has a hole in the heart and is epileptic, struck out for the shore two miles away.

His frantic dad, of Scout Bottom, Rossendale, was plucked from the sea 15 hours later and rescuers have said he is lucky to be alive.

Charles's twin sister Charlotte, of Edgeside Lane, Waterfoot, said: "I am sick with worry. Please bring my brother home."

Disaster struck on Sunday evening when the vessel was hit by the massive wave. Hero Charles said goodbye and disappeared from his father's view around 11 pm.

Charlotte said: "It is amazing that Dad has survived. We are just trying to believe that there could be a second miracle.

"All we can do is try and keep hope alive and think of Charles in our prayers."

Charlotte says she has a special relationship with her twin and "could not take it all in."

She added: "It seems Charles was becoming angry and distressed. He then decided that he would risk sacrificing himself."

"It was typical that he should think of saving his dad.

"It was their first boat, a joint venture. It was their pride and joy and they were very enthusiastic about the trip.

"This is a nightmare and I just can't bear the thought of him adrift at sea on his own. I feel so helpless."

Retired haulier Mr Brodie was plucked from the Irish Sea after 19 hours, exhausted, disoriented and suffering from slight hypothermia.

He was spotted by a member of the public who alerted coastguards and a rescue operation swung into operation.

Local angling boats also helped, responding to an emergency broadcast from Holyhead.

Mr Brodie was airlifted to to Gwynedd Hospital, Bangor, where he was "stable" today.

His wife Barbara, who was staying with the pair at the family's caravan in Abergele, first raised the alarm when they failed to return from the fishing trip. She is by her husband's bedside and is being comforted by the couple's other daughter, Michelle Bird, of Waterfoot.

Coastguard Dave John described Mr Brodie as an "incredibly lucky man," but the search for missing Charles was called off late last night.

He added: "The water temperature was 18 degrees and statistics tell us that a person has a 50-50 chance of surviving in that for up to four hours.

"That his son has survived after even longer is sadly doubtful. We will still monitor the area during routine observations."

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