Fundraiser launched to return home British father found dead on boat four weeks into 3,000-mile Atlantic ocean row
27 February 2024, 17:49
A fundraiser has been launched to repatriate a British father who was found dead in the cabin of his boat after taking on a 3,000-mile rowing challenge across the Atlantic Ocean.
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Michael Holt, 54, from the Wirral, was found dead in the boat 700 miles into the charity challenge off the coast of Cape Verde, west Africa, earlier this week.
Now a fundraiser with a £20,000 goal has been launched to "get Michael home" to his family in the UK.
"It's not particularly simple and it's an expensive operation," the GoFundMe page read. "The full extent of the costs is not known at this stage, however if there happens to be a surplus, then these funds will be donated to the charities that Michael was supporting."
Over £8,000 has been raised to repatriate the father of one from Cape Verde, which was set up by Barry Hayes, who had been helping the rowing enthusiast document his expedition on social media.
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Prior to his death, Mr Holt told friends and family that he had been struggling with severe seasickness, for which he was taking medication. He was also a type-1 diabetic.
The rowing enthusiast - who was expected to take between 50 and 110 days to cross the Atlantic - set off on his enormous journey on January 27 and was en route from Gran Canaria to Barbados at the time of his passing.
Before falling ill, Mr Holt had already battled brutal winds in his rowing boat, losing an oar, and having a shark attack his rudder.
Announcing the sad news on Mr Holt's Facebook page, where his supporters and friends had been keeping up with his journey, his brother David explained how they had worked with local coast guard and rescue services after losing contact with him for some days.
"Last night the fishing vessel Noruego accepted a tasking from Cape Verde Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and made directly for Michael's coordinates. Very sadly, upon arrival, Michael was found dead inside his cabin," they announced.
"Of course this was not the ultimate conclusion we were looking for, but I am somewhat comforted knowing he died doing something he absolutely wanted to do with a passion and managed to row in excess of 700 miles in the process. An achievement in itself."
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"This is a huge shock to myself, his wife Lynne & daughter Scarlett and my parents, not to mention wider family and friends.
"Many thanks for the kind words and wishes that you have already sent us during the past few days. They mean a great deal to all the family."
Mr Holt had been raising money for mental health charity Mind and the Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services.
The father, who was originally from Porthmadog, North Wales, had spent two years training for the enormous journey.
It comes a year after Mr Holt also rowed solo across the Irish Sea from Porthmadog Harbour to Wicklow in the Republic of Ireland.
The brutal and repetitive rowing action caused him to require reconstructive surgery on his shoulders. Some 20 titanium rods were placed in his body as part of the surgery.
