Tributes have been paid to a charity rower who died at sea while trying to cross the Atlantic Ocean from Tenerife to Barbados.
Michael Holt, 54, was trying to raise £10,000 for different good causes by rowing 3,100 miles.
Some 700 miles into his journey, Mr Holt, who had type 1 diabetes, fell ill.A statement from his brother David said the family had been “working tirelessly” to get help to him for four days before a fishing vessel was able to reach his craft.
They said: “Very sadly, upon arrival, Michael was found dead inside his cabin.
“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.”
He said the death of Mr Holt, who lived in The Wirral, was a “huge shock”. The charity fundraiser leaves a wife and daughter and is also survived by his parents.
Mr Holt’s solo journey began in Gran Canaria, Spain, and should have finished in Port St Charles in Barbados.
Writing on his website before he set off, he said he expected to be rowing more than 16 hours a day and surviving on less than four hours sleep a day.
He said the trip was partly inspired by an accident he had while struggling with his diabetes that badly damaged his arms and shoulders leaving him with “double reconstructive shoulder surgery” that saw doctors put a “titanium fitting” in his right arm and 20 titanium pins and a plate in his left side.
Diabetes UK is among the charities he was fundraising for and his Just Giving page includes donations made after his death was announced with one supporter saying they were “devastated to read about the passing of this brave man” and another saying they were “so sorry to read about Michael's passing”.
