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On August 20, Netflix's Say I Do star Jeremiah Brent shared a picture of his husband Nate Berkus on Instagram. The photo showcased the 49-year old interior designer wading into the ocean with the couple's six-year-old daughter, Poppy Brent-Berkus.
In the caption of the post, Jeremiah praised his husband's efforts. The 36-year old interior designer stated:
"I watched my husband, who survived such tragedy and such loss in 2004, walk our children into the ocean earlier this week. He has broken the chain of fear and wades in the water, full of laughter and full of joy."
Brent referred to Nate surviving the 2004 tsunami where he lost his then partner, Fernando Bengoechea.
What happened to Nate Berkus in 2004, and how did he lose Fernando Bengoechea in the tsunami?
The Instagram picture shared by Jeremiah Brent holds special significance as August 20 also marks Nate Berkus' late partner Fernando Bengoechea's birthday.
In the caption, Brent also shared that the memorial studio of the late photographer would donate 10% of their proceeds to the Joshua Tree National Park.
On December 26, 2004, Nate and Fernando were vacationing at Stardust Hotel in Sri Lanka, where the tragedy occurred. The pair were in their room the morning the tsunami hit.
According to Nate Berkus' excerpt on NateAndJeremiahDesigns.com,
"The hut's roof was torn off by the force of the water. And both Fernando and I [Nate] were taken out of the hut, and it just felt like we were drowning immediately."
The couple was washed out into the tsunami, where after some time, Nate lost track of Fernando amidst the gigantic and frenzied tidal waves. Moments later, the former swam to an area where the tides were calmer.
On the webpage, Nate also stated:
"We were still moving forward at about 50 or 70 miles an hour, but the water wasn't coming over our heads any longer. So you could breathe. And that was the main goal — to breathe."
While Nate Berkus survived the tragedy, Fernando Bengoechea's body was never found. The photographer was 39 at the time.
The former couple met a year earlier in 2003. As per Fernando Bengoechea's website, Nate is quoted as saying:
"Fernando and I met in 2003 at a photoshoot for O at Home magazine. He had been hired to photograph the makeover process of a living room I was brought in to redo. The day I met him, I could see, through his photographs, how he saw me, and I remember thinking, things don't get any better than this."
Nate Berkus' current partner Jeremiah Brent is also his co-star in the TLC series Nate & Jeremiah by Design. The series was rebooted as Nate and Jeremiah: Save My House at HGTV.
