A British former child star who was blind and had cerebral palsy died in the California wildfires after telling his mother to leave him behind. Rory Callum Sykes, 32, perished when his cottage on his mother's Malibu estate burned down on Thursday.
A British former child star who was blind and had cerebral palsy said 'leave me' before dying in the Los Angeles wildfires, his heartbroken mother revealed. Rory Callum Sykes, 32, lost his life when his self-contained cottage on his mother's estate in Malibu, California, burned down on Thursday. Shelley Sykes rushed to her local fire department after struggling to get through to the emergency services to move her son Rory from his home next to her property, while flames surrounded the area.
She was suffering a broken arm at the time of the tragedy, meaning she had not been able to evacuate her 6ft 5in son on her own. 'He said,'Mum, leave me', and no mum can leave their kid, and I've got a broken arm. I couldn't lift him. I couldn't move him,' she revealed. 'He was my baby, and he died needlessly,' the mother added. 'Guess what didn't work? 911. All the phone lines were down.' Ms Sykes drove 400 metres to her local fire station to ask for help and was told they had 'no water', Australian TV channel Network 1 reported. 'When the fire department brought me back, his cottage was burned to the ground,' the mother said. Ms Sykes said her son, who appeared on TV show Kiddy Kapers as a child, died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Rory had his own cottage on his mother's 17-acre Malibu estate when the property was engulfed by fire this week. 'I couldn't put out the cinders on his roof with a hose because the water was switched off by Las Virgenes Municipal Water,' she said. 'Even the 50 brave firefighters had no water all day!' The death toll from the wildfires rose to 16 as crews battled to cut off the spreading blazes before potentially strong winds return that could push the flames towards some of the city's most famous landmarks. Ms Sykes said her son died of carbon monoxide poisoning. It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son @Rorysykes to the Malibu fires yesterday. I’m totally heart broken. British born Australian living in America, a wonderful son, a gift born on mine & his grandmas birthday 29 July 92, Rory Callum… pic.twitter.com/X77xyk83gx — Shelley Sykes (@shelleysykes) January 9, 2025 Ms Sykes drove 400 metres to her local fire station to ask for help and was told they had 'no water', Australian TV channel Network 1 reported Jason Oppenheim, star of US reality programme Selling Sunset, has claimed landlords are taking advantage of people being displaced by the fires which began on Tuesday, just north of central LA, and have burned more than 12,000 structures. Since offering to represent those who have lost their homes for free, the reality star said Oppenheim Group agents have 'received dozens and dozens of calls from people who have lost their homes in the fires'. 'It's all hands on deck right now, but it's really difficult because there are thousands of people who are displaced without places to stay,' he told BBC One programme Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg. 'The hotels are overwhelmed all the way down to Newport Beach and even into San Diego you can't get a hotel room right now. 'And even, unfortunately - and this is something that I want to discuss, because I think it should be exposed - but we're having landlords taking advantage of the situation. 'I had a client, we sent him to a house that was asking $13,000 (£10,600) a month. 'He offered $20,000(£16,400) a month, and he offered to pay six months up front. And the landlord said,'No, I want $23,000(£18,800) a month'. 'You know, there are price-gouging laws in California that are just being ignored right now. 'And this isn't the time to be taking advantage of situations, and it's also illegal to take advantage of a natural disaster
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES MALIBU DEATH LANDLORDS
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