Camber swimmer death: Appeal to send body home reaches £10k

Gustavo Silva da Cruz died after getting into difficulty in the sea during a riptide at the popular beach on Sunday (July 24).

A Go Fund Me page was set up on Monday (July 25) to send the 19-year-old’s body back to Brazil as his family ‘could not afford it’.

Donations quickly came flooding in and after two days it surpassed the £9,750 target and is now on £10,821, with no donations allowed.

Heloisa Martins wrote on the page: “Gustavo’s family and friends would like to thank everyone who took the time to donate to this cause, your support during this difficult time is very much appreciated.”

The 19-year-old was visiting his father Gutenburg Cruz from Croydon and was spending the sunny day at Camber Sands with family and friends, according to the page.

“The family was enjoying the hot weather in the company of friends at Camber Sands beach on Sunday, July 24, [sic] where Gustavo drowned to death, the young man was dragged by the strong wind which started suddenly and could not swim back to the beach,” the page says.

Emergency services rushed to Camber Sands after reports of people getting into difficulty at sea at around 12.40pm.

A 35-year-old father and his 17-year-old son from London were rescued and resuscitated on the beach before being airlifted to hospital.

The coastguard rescue teams from Rye and Dungeness, helicopters from Lydd and Solent, Rye Harbour RNLI lifeboat, beach lifeguards and police searched for a third person.

Hastings and Littlestone RNLI lifeboats and independent inshore boat Pett Level Rescue Boat joined the search but the RNLI was stood down at around 4.20pm.

A body was found at around 6.20pm and the search continued until it was called off completely at around 9pm.

UPDATED: Teenage swimmer who died at Camber Sands identified

Police confirm body found after swimmer disappears in sea at Camber

UPDATED: VIDEO: Two swimmers pulled from sea at Camber but one feared dead

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