Kristian Kiehling was just a teenager when his father, Uwe, was working on a cargo ship in the Strait of Malacca, a stretch of water between Malaysia and Indonesia.
One fateful day in October 1995, Uwe’s cargo ship was attacked by pirates, who forced the 59-year-old to open the vessel’s safe and give them money.
He was later thrown overboard - and never seen again.
Speaking about the tragedy, EastEnders star Kristian told The Mirror: “You can imagine what it was like for a boy whose father was a captain sailing around the world. He was my hero.
“I never imagined a day he would not come home. It was very traumatic.”
The hardest part, for Kristian, is not knowing where his father’s body rests.
He said: “Having no grave to visit is so hard. I have no idea where my father is and nowhere to commune with him.
“So for me, the sea is his grave. Whenever I visit the seaside, no matter which ocean it is, I get very emotional and upset. But then I get a sense of peace knowing he is out there somewhere.”
Now, in the wake of his departure from the BBC One soap, Kristian has decided to swap acting for humanitarian work in Malta.
He will be dedicating his time to raising funds for Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), a small charity who aim to rescue migrants who face difficulties on the crossing to Europe.
Kristian, both of whom’s parents were refugees, explained to Digital Spy: “You may have heard of tragedies where migrants try to cross from war-torn countries and drown.
“There needs to be somebody rescuing those poor people who are crossing in their thousands every week.
“Last year the Migrant Offshore Aid Station rescued over 3,000 people. They're trying to raise money for their rescue programme this year, so I'm trying to work with them and I'm going to help them in any way I can.
"So this is what I'll be doing in the immediate aftermath of EastEnders. I just think we need to help because we live in a society which has way too much money and resources, and we just use them for ourselves when we should give more.”’
You can find out more about MOAS and their work via their website.