Teenager dies after being swept out to sea while taking pictures of stormy waves
A man whose younger brother died when he tried to take photos of stormy seas is set to take part in an epic challenge to honour him.
Harry Martin was visiting his family for Christmas in Membland, Noss Mayo, when he went missing. The 18-year-old’s disappearance sparked an extensive search with police, coastguards, fire crews, Dartmoor Search and Rescue, the RNLI and 120 local volunteers. His body was discovered nine days later in Carswell Cove in 2014.
Now, 10 years later, his brother James will tackle a gruelling 100-mile bike ride from Ilfracombe Harbour to Noss Mayo followed by a 28-mile row to and from the Eddystone Lighthouse, south of Rame Head in Cornwall. He will be joined by his brother’s best friends Fred Stitson, 28, and Mo Sherrell, 29, and hopes to raise £4,000 for charities who helped find him, the RNLI and Dartmoor Search and Rescue.
James, 31, told PlymouthLive: “We wanted to do something that Harry would have wanted to take part in. He was a talented soul and passionate about film, TV and photography. He had an unmatched passion for storytelling, an unmistakably dark sense of humour, and a down-to-earth demeanour that endeared him to all who knew him. Harry was always happiest behind the camera, and he’d hate to think of himself as the centre of attention now.
“It’s heartbreaking to think about all of the special moments he missed out on – being best man at my wedding, the joy of seeing his friends tie the knot, and meeting his niece Margot. Harry was just 18 when he passed. As time goes on, you can't help but wonder if you're doing justice to his memory. We thought we’d have a lifetime of conversations ahead. To watch each other grow. It's a harsh reality to realise life can be cut so short.
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“A decade may have passed, but Harry’s influence in our lives remains, reminding us to find humour even in the darkest of times.”
Harry Martin pictured rowing with friends Fred and MoJames married his childhood sweetheart Daisy in September 2021 and the couple share a one-year-old daughter, Margot, while Harry’s friends Fred and Mo also went on to marry and have children. The trio came up with their plans to fundraise in Harry’s memory at Fred’s wedding while talking about the 10th anniversary of his passing.
Fred said: “Harry often found himself in the middle of everything while constantly attempting to hide in the background. Harry would throw 100% of himself into his hobbies and happily but very bluntly would turn down invitations to focus on them. Skating and photography were two of his biggest hobbies. Although he came across as quiet to most, he would very commonly be the one to instigate our shenanigans - such as late-night dips in swimming pools, redirecting road diversion signs and late-night practices in the regatta boats.”
Mo added: “He was a lad of few words, lurking in the background just biding his time to drop a bomb and completely roast someone. He loved to laugh - whether it was roaming around the village getting up to mischief or bombing hills on our longboards usually resulting in one of us going home with less skin than we woke up that morning or building bike tracks in the woods which often lead to Harry getting a mouth full of dirt.”
The trio will begin the gruelling two-day challenge on June 14, 2024. You can donate via the GoFundMe website here
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