David Walliams has donated £1,000 to the fundraising page of Susan Taylor, the charity swimmer who tragically died while attempting to cross the English Channel.David's 2006 Comic Relief swim from England to France inspired the 34-year-old to take up the 21-mile challenge, but sadly she collapsed just one mile from the French coast after respiratory trouble.
Susan, who left her job as an accountant to train for the crossing, previously wrote in a blog, "I've had an ambition to follow in comedian David Walliams's strokes and swim the Channel since I was a child. "The funny man was among hundreds of people who went to her charity page on Monday to raise more than £39,000 for Diabetes UK and Rainbows Children's Hospital in Loughborough.
David also encouraged his followers to donate what they can. "Susan Taylor's channel swim attempt very sadly ended in tragedy. This is her charity page if you want to donate," he tweeted.
He also said that Susan's brother David Wright, a paramedic, had been accompanying his sister in a support boat, and had tried in vain to save her. Susan's husband Stephen was also on the boat.
"Despite the shock & sadness, it's good to see heroic Susan Taylor's charity total rising. Please give what you can…"Meanwhile, Susan's devastated father Arthur Wright, 68, has paid tribute to his daughter, saying he had lost "the best person in the whole world".The family had celebrated Susan's and her brother's birthday at a restaurant last Thursday, he said, and he last saw her on Friday night. "I saw her to say I hope it goes well and gave her a kiss," he said.
