Friends honour best mate lost at sea in Cornwall in heartbreaking video
Tyler's friends have raised £3,500 for the charity, after the 24-year-old was swept to his death at St Agnes
A 24-hour gaming marathon has raised £3,500 for the RNLI, in memory of a young man swept to his death in Cornwall.
Tyler Westlake was fishing with friends at St Agnes last November when a huge wave hit.
Tragically, the 24-year-old was never found.
Now Tyler's mates have recorded a video message with the crews who searched for more than 48 hours to try to find him.
They have described their heartbreak at losing their friend, saying "he never came back out of the water".
Tyler's Story
Tyler Westlake was swept into the sea whilst fishing near St Agnes, Cornwall.
The 24-year-old was fishing with friends when a huge wave hit the rocks.
On 12 November 2020, volunteer RNLI lifeboat crews from St Agnes, St Ives, Newquay, Padstow, and Sennen Cove joined other emergency services tasked with the search for Tyler.
Collectively, RNLI volunteers spent 45 hours searching but, sadly, Tyler was not found.
A new video released by the RNLI hears from Tyler's friends, including Connor Freeman who tells us: "Unfortunately, he never came back out of the water".
When talking about Tyler, Jasper Knight said: "He was really kind and really easy to talk to and it frustrates me that I didn't have more time to talk to him".
Close friend, Charlton Cunningham, expressed the importance of safety equipment: "I just want to ask anyone who's thinking of fishing or surfing to make sure you use lifesaving equipment. Lifejackets are so important, if we could turn back time, we would've got them".
On Saturday, a group of Tyler's friends embarked on a 24-hour gaming marathon, playing popular games Among Us and Worms.
The event was a thank you to the RNLI and other emergency services and was held in honour of their friend with whom gaming was a big part of their lives.
The JustGiving fundraising page has smashed the original target and is currently at nearly £3,500, including gift aid.
The T-Boys, a name they made up shortly after losing Tyler, include Charlton, Jasper, Connor, Mike Banks, Jake Rostill and Carl Hill.
They describe Tyler as 'full of life'. He loved the sea, whether it be surfing or fishing with friends.
They will miss the late nights playing games and laughing till the early hours.
Following the fundraising event, Connor said: "Doing something we always did with Tyler as a way of remembering him felt perfect to all of us. Whilst we were playing games and laughing together, it actually felt like we were all there with him again.
"We'll all take a part of him into everything we do for the rest of our lives so starting with some of the best memories was the best thing we could have done! We know he would be proud of us all for what we've done in his name and how much we've raised for the RNLI".
Tyler's friend, Connor Freeman
Dickon Berriman, RNLI Area Lifesaving Manager, said: "The charity is extremely grateful that through their grief, Tyler's friends have chosen to fundraise for the RNLI.
"It was a huge collective effort by all our volunteers and search and rescue colleagues who worked tirelessly and showed remarkable commitment during the search.
"Everyone at the RNLI is heartbroken not to have been able to bring Tyler home, he was obviously a very loved friend and he'll be missed by everyone he touched".
RNLI Area Lifesaving Manager, Dickon Berriman
You can read more about Tyler and his friends' gaming marathon on the T-Boys' Just Giving Page here.
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