British-born former child star Rory Sykes passes away in California wildfires | US News
An Australian man born in the UK, who featured on the television program Kiddy Kapers during his childhood, has tragically lost his life in the California wildfires, as reported by his mother.
Rory Sykes, aged 32, was residing in a cottage on his family’s 17-acre estate in Malibu when flames engulfed the roof on January 8.
His mother, Shelley Sykes, expressed her heartbreak in a post on X, referring to Mr. Sykes as a “wonderful son”.
She informed Australian TV network 10 News First that Mr. Sykes succumbed to “carbon monoxide poisoning”.
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Ms. Sykes stated that she has a broken arm and was unable to lift or move her son. After notifying the fire department, she returned to find “Rory’s cottage was burnt to the ground”.
She also claimed that when the fire erupted, she was unable to extinguish the flames with a hose due to the water being shut off by Las Virgenes Municipal Water.
“Even the 50 brave firefighters had no water all day! He will be incredibly missed,” she shared in her post on X.
A spokesperson for Las Virgenes Municipal Water disputed Ms. Sykes’ assertions, stating that water supply to her property and the surrounding area remained consistent, according to Sky News’ US affiliate NBC News.
“Our water system operated without interruption, and we provided water to the firefighters throughout the emergency,” the spokesperson stated.
Mr. Sykes was born in the UK before moving to Sydney as a child and later became an Australian citizen, as reported by 10 News First.
He was featured on the 1998 series Kiddy Kapers, filmed in Yorkshire, per IMDB, and subsequently appeared on the Australian talk show Kerri-Anne.
Born blind and with cerebral palsy, he faced challenges in mobility, as noted by his mother.
A map showing how contained the current LA wildfires are
Despite the challenges he faced, Ms. Sykes shared that her son remained passionate about exploring the world and, at just eight years old, spoke at an event led by motivational speaker Tony Robbins.
In 2005, he co-established the Happy Charity with his mother, raising funds for ill children worldwide.
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“He will be deeply missed by @shelleysykes, his mother, his pet peacocks Edgee & Mickie, and all his online fans around the globe,” his mother wrote on X.
At least 24 individuals have lost their lives in Los Angeles County since the wildfires ignited on January 7. Fueled by strong winds, the flames have ravaged over 40,000 acres in a week.
