Family raises money in memory of Watford man who took his life

Tertia Rimell, 40, who lives near Leavesden, has raised more than £6,000 skydiving and competing in exhausting marathons and triathlons with help of her family and friends in memory of her brother, who suffered with severe anxiety and depression.

Lloyd Bromley died aged 45 shortly after he went missing in October 9, 2017. Mr Bromley – who was a father of three – went missing when his family presumed he was going to volunteer at an Oxfam centre.

Sadly, he instead took his life at Sherwoods Road, Watford Heath, after he was overcome with his depressive emotions. His body was found just a day later on October 10, 2017.

From left to right: Lloyd, his mother, father, Tertia, and his brother Marcus

Police investigating the death found a note on his phone addressed to his family, which gave Mrs Rimell mixed emotions.

She said: “It was comforting and frustrating at the same time. Losing him to the illness, that was frustrating, as it could affect anybody. But it was comforting as he also told us that he loves us.”

Mr Bromley’s family were completely aware of the issues which he faced, as he opened up about his depression to his family in March 2017. Soon after, he was surrounded with a loving support system and moved into his parents’ home for further stability.

Unfortunately, while Mr Bromley sought professional help and guidance, he was put on extensive waiting lists from psychiatrists for up to four months. He had limited help, being given only six weeks of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to help manage the way he saw his depression.

Mrs Rimell added: “A week before his death he was begging crisis teams (NHS) to take him in and that he was feeling suicidal, but they didn’t acknowledge it. He should have been sectioned and helped.”

While Mrs Rimell describes the first year after his death a “blur”, she knew afterwards she wanted to help others who were in the same situation as her brother, to prevent similar situations.

Lloyd with his three daughters

Since the death, some friends and acquaintances have approached Mrs Rimell about their concerns of people who may be feeling suicidal. The advice she gave was: “First you need to tell them that they’re brave that they even admitted that.

“I often think that men are often more stubborn to admit and talk about what they’re feeling, so it’s brave to be open about it. But then of course they should go to the doctors and seek that medical treatment.”

To help make an impact to a wider audience, Mrs Rimell and her friends have been actively partaking in various fundraisers to raise money for Mind, a mental health charity. The combination of money raised from a half marathon in October 2018, a London triathlon in July 2019 and a recent skydiving fundraiser in September 14 has seen over £6,000 in donations.

She went skydiving along with her husband Chris Rimell, her brother-in-law Steve Rimell and her three friends Sally Newing, Veronica Montgomery and Guy Travers. Despite being at an incredible height before jumping, Mrs Rimell never felt fearful as she was determined to raise the money for her brother.

Skydiving seemed like an appropriate way to raise further money, as Mr Bromley himself briefly trained to be a pilot. She held a picture of her brother while she was freefalling from the sky, and even gave the picture a kiss in admiration for him.

Even now, Mrs Rimell hopes to continue her work with Mind charity to see how else she can get involved and raise awareness for mental health.

To donate to Mind for the skydiving fundraiser, click here.