People have flocked to donate money in memory of a woman who died as she tried to swim the English Channel to raise money for sick and dying children.
Susan Taylor, of Barwell, was a mile from the French coast when she became ill on Sunday afternoon.
Her paramedic brother David, who was in the support boat, pulled her out of the water and battled to save her.
A French navy helicopter flew Susan to hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer, but she was declared dead at 7pm. The 34-year-old accountant, who had set off from Dover in the early hours, was raising money for Rainbows children's hospice, in Loughborough, and Diabetes UK.
As news of Susan's death spread, her fund-raising totals for the charities soared.
Comedian and Channel swimmer David Walliams – one of Susan's inspirations – gave £1,000.
Susan's father, Arthur Wright, 68, of Barwell, said he was "devastated".
He said: "I've lost the best person in the world. She was just wonderful."
He said his daughter, whose husband and coach Stephen was on the support boat, had given up her full-time job to carry out charitable work.
She had also done wing-walking and a parachute jump.
Mr Wright last saw his daughter on Friday night. "I saw her to say I hope it goes well and gave her a kiss," he said.
A message announcing the tragic news to Susan's friends and fans was posted on her Facebook page, Create a Ripple Channel Swim.
It read: "While attempting to swim the English Channel yesterday my sister, Susan, collapsed suddenly in the water.
"She was immediately recovered from the water and treated on the support boat. She was airlifted to a hospital.
"Susan tragically passed away. Thank you for your messages of support.
"If you would like to leave a sign of respect, please feel free to donate to her fund-raising page."
On Monday morning, as news broke of the tragedy, the fundraising total for Rainbows Hospice had reached just over £7,000 but by 5pm it had soared to over £15,000. By this morning the running total had reached just over £36,800. The figure for her Diabetes UK page had also increased during the same period from £2,400 to more than £3,600. By this morning the running total had reached just over £6,000.Mr Walliams urged his 1.2 million Twitter followers to donate to her appeal.
Susan Taylor from Stuart Ritchie on Vimeo.
Susan had said on her fund-raising page fewer than 1,000 people had completed the 21-mile cross-Channel swim, while more than 3,000 had conquered Everest.
She said: "I've had an ambition to follow in comedian David Walliams's strokes and swim the channel since childhood.
"As a child, I did a sponsored five-mile swim and the seed of the idea of swimming the English Channel was sown then.
"Tankers and ferries are the least of my worries, as my biggest fear is jelly fish."
Rainbows chief executive Geoff Ellis said: "Susan was a wonderful woman who would do anything for anybody. She has been a much-loved ambassador at Rainbows for more than two years.
"All of the young people, families, staff and volunteers at Rainbows are devastated."
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said Susan was swimming under the guidance of the Channel Swimming Association when she got into difficulty at about 5.30pm.
The create a createaripple.co.uk challenge was supporting Rainbows Hospice and Diabetes UK. Susan had posted on her Diabetes UK and Rainbows fund-raising pages how tough the swim would be. She said: "I am to take on a challenge tougher than Everest in July 2013 - Swimming the English Channel solo. "I am SELF FUNDING THE solo SWIM so every penny donated will go to Charity." See Susan Taylor's Channel Swim for Rainbows fundraising page HERE. See Susan Taylor's channel swim for Diabetes UK page HERE. And as soon as the news broke people took to Twitter to share tributes and messages of condolence. RELATED ARTICLE: Donations soar after death of Channel charity swimmer Susan Taylor