Friends of missing Cornish man take part in gaming marathon to raise money for RNLI
The friends of a Cornish man who went missing at sea last year are taking part in a 24-hour gaming marathon to raise money for the RNLI.
24-year-old Tyler Westlake was swept into the sea whilst fishing at St Agnes in November. Despite the work of more than 80 RNLI staff and coastguard volunteers, he was never found.
His friends, who all met through gaming, are now hoping to thank the rescue services and raise awareness about the dangers at sea by raising as much money as possible.
Connor Freeman, one of Tyler's closest friends, told ITV News: "We really want Tyler's story to show people that even the strongest swimmers, the most confident in the water can get caught out in an instant.
"He was an amazing swimmer, surfer, so confident but a freak wave out of nowhere just came over the top and took him in.
"If anyone is going to go anywhere near the water, check the tides, wear life saving equipment and stay safe. It's harsh."
The group have already smashed their target of £1,000, raising more than £2,500 so far.
Connor said: "It's mind blowing that people have been so generous. We haven't got a number set but we'd like to raise as much as possible.
"We'd like the money to be used to help the equipment get refurbished if needs be, help with some training, maybe go towards helping to buy the new boats that they're building at the moment.
"That would be amazing if we could contribute towards that because we know how many people they save a year and it's incredible."
The group, made up of Connor Freeman, Charlton Cunningham, Mike Banks, Jake Rostill, Carl Hill and Jaspin Knight, plan to keep going for 24 hours straight to fundraise starting on Saturday February 20, with all proceeds going to the lifeboat charity.
They will be playing the popular deception game Among Us, along with Worms - a game series they enjoyed with Tyler on many occasions.
On their JustGiving fundraising page, the group wrote: "Tyler was only 24 and full of life. He loved the sea, whether it be in the sea surfing or fishing with friends. We all miss our late nights playing games and laughing till the early hours. Tyler mentioned on multiple occasions that he wished to do a charity live stream to raise some money."
"We don’t know where he is or if we will ever get to say a proper goodbye to him but we do know that over 80 incredible rescue volunteers were out looking for Tyler for over 48 hours straight.
"Whilst the pain has been unbearable for us all knowing he still isn't home, we would like to thank the RNLI and HMCG (Her Majesty's Coastguard) for all their amazing efforts and hard work."
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