Jason Jones was doing what he loved when a freak wave claimed his life while he was fishing at Port Stephens on Saturday.
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The wave capsized the boat that Jason and a mate had taken out on the water at Nelson Bay.
The Thornton man’s family have paid tribute to the 43-year-old as a free spirit and loving father with a gentle and creative soul.
“He was a free soul, he saw the world in a different way to most people,” his younger brother Scott said.
His father, Alan, said he’d been a keen and skilled fisherman for most of his life.
As a child, Jason would often reel in his first catch of the day before his father had a chance to drop anchor during their regular fishing trips.
Jason showed strong artistic talent as a child, which blossomed as he became an adult.
He earned a diploma in fine art after high school and tried his hand at poetry and fiction – he even wrote and illustrated a children’s book, which he never got the chance to publish.
Almost 20 years ago, he began work as a tattoo artist and developed a sharp talent for free-hand tattooing.
Only six months ago, he started his own business at Toronto, Forbidden Ink, with his mate, Joel Speelman.
Jason’s mother, Sandra, said starting his own business had been a dream he had worked towards for years.
“He had many talents and he didn’t see bad in anybody,” she said.
“Jason was an artist to his backbone.”
When asked how Jason would want to be remembered, Alan, Sandra and Scott said, without hesitation, “as a father”.
Jason and his former wife Belinda had a daughter, Jacinta, almost 16 years ago.
“She [Jacinta] was the jewel of his life,” Alan said.
Sandra said that Jason, Belinda, Jacinta and Belinda’s four sons had remained very close.
And Jacinta has begun to show the same artistic talent as her father.
“Jacinta was everything to him and he loved the boys too,” Sandra said.
“Everybody, all our extended family, are so proud of all the things he has done and the talent he has.
“He was a very, very loved boy.”
The family wanted to thank the emergency services officers involved in Saturday’s incident.
“We wish to thank the officers from Raymond Terrace police station who attended our home for their help and kind words, the water police who attended the scene and detective Matt Roach for his help and advice, and anyone else involved in bringing Jason home,” Sandra said.
The family is urging people to remember the importance of water safety, even in calm conditions.
They have also set up a trust fund for Jacinta, so she can pursue her artistic talent at TAFE.
Donations can be made by bank transfer to Westpac, BSB: 032 529, A/C: 321 660.