Army Captain who died running the London Marathon was planning to propose his grieving partner has revealed

THE Army captain who died while running the London Marathon was planning to propose to his girlfriend, she has revealed.

Commando David Seath suffered a cardiac arrest at the 23-mile point of the race last weekend.

His partner Gaby Schoenenberger, 29, was waiting with a friend on the 25th mile marker to cheer on her boyfriend, 31, but he never arrived.

And, in an interview with The Sunday Times, she told how, on the evening of his death, she learnt of his plans to marry her.

Gaby posted a thank you message to well-wishers on social media

The pair had first started messaging in late 2014 before meeting in Exeter Facebook

She said: “I feel as though I’ve died inside, just heartbroken. He was everything to me. It is desperately unfair, we had so much to look forward to.

“I found out on Sunday night that David had asked my dad for his blessing at Easter when we were on a family holiday.

“David was being posted to Afghanistan in July this year for seven months and he was intending on proposing when he got back — but he wanted to make sure, to check it with my dad.

“I never wanted to freak him out by talking about marriage but it was obvious for us that we were heading that way. It shows that, without me ever saying anything, he knew how important it would be to me that he ask my dad’s permission. That’s just David, he was such a gentleman.”

Gaby was waiting for David at the 25th mile marker but he never arrived Newsgroup newspapers

She added: “I would have said yes, in a moment.”

David had originally set a fundraising target of £250 for his chosen charity, Help for Heroes, but nearly £75,000 has flooded in after his tragic death.

The commando intended on proposing to her when he returned from Afghanistan PA

The pair first started messaging in late 2014 after being introduced by a mutual friend when Gaby was working in Edinburgh and when he was based with the 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery.

She eventually flew to Plymouth to meet him. She said: “Everyone thought I was completely mad for doing it.

“We arranged to meet opposite Exeter Cathedral and . . . I know it sounds really silly but I knew straight away when I saw him, when I saw his beautiful face and he had these eyes that sparkled so much and I just thought: ‘You’re gorgeous’.”

Their first date happened later that evening where they had an indoor picnic in front of her favourite film, Jurassic Park. She said: “That was it, really. I loved him straight away.

Captain Seath was a member of the 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery PA

Thousands gather at the start of the London Marathon

“When I got back to Edinburgh it was awful. I kept crying randomly after just two days of meeting him. I’d never thought that really happened.

“The comfort I am taking is that I told him every day that I loved him so much, and he knew that I loved him, and I know how much he loved me.

“Maybe I regret having a go at him for not wiping the crumbs off the side of the sink, but I don’t regret anything else, because he knew.”

You can contribute to Captain Seath’s race fund at: justgiving.com/ david-seath-london-marathon