Sky dive success for son who vowed to bring his father’s body home, as he closes in on fundraising target

Lee and Beau Archer in Havana, Cuba, Feb 2015. Submitted (Image: Submitted)

Beau Archer, 26, found out his father, Lee, had died on July 14 this year.

But he had actually died in December last year, and was buried in Cuba in January having not been claimed after the 30 days specified by Cuban sanitary law.

Mr Archer last spoke to his father on December 7, but after he didn't return home later that month as planned, concerns began to grow.

In March, he reported his father missing to the British Embassy, who launched an official enquiry, and an agonising seven months later was told his father had died while swimming off the coast of Guanabo Beach.

Beau Archer, whose father Lee died while in Cuba last December, is looking to raise £10K to be able to bring his body back to the UK and give him a proper burial. He and friend Shane Gammage(right) are doing a skydive to raise funds.PHOTO BY SIMON FINLAY (Image: ARCHANT NORFOLK)

Mr Archer of Cremorne Lane, Norwich, was then determined to bring his father's body home, and started an ambitious bid to raise the £15,000 it would cost to exhume and repatriate his body.

'Lots has been going on,' said Mr Archer, a sales consultant for Broadbank Limited.

'There's two main events we've been doing, the first was the sky dive, that was on September 17. It was a great day with seven of us doing it - it was very cloudy which added to the excitement.'

Mr Archer did the dive with staff members from Social Network Solutions in Norwich, who helped to organise it.

He said it was something his father would have enjoyed, as he was described as 'free-spirited'. And the second event was designed to be fitting as well.

'The second event is a soul night,' he said. 'He was really into soul music and lots of his friends were DJs.'

So on October 21, soul fans and friends of the family will gather at the Talk, in Oak Street, Norwich, for a night of laughter and raising all-important funds.

An online donation page set up for Mr Archer has now reached more than £7,700 but the total raised is around £10,000.

'It's amazing how much has been raised so quickly, I'm hoping the soul night will be our last event and get us to the £15,000.'

As well as money from tickets - which cost £10 - there will also be a raffle. And Mr Archer encouraged people to donate any prizes they could think of.

For more information on the soul night, contact Mr Archer on beau.archer@brandbank.com or 07833 297285.

To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sns-skydive