David Haw: Schoolmates take part in 12-mile charity walk for Sussex man who died at sea

Friends of a man who fell overboard a boat and went missing in Poole Harbour reunited at Lewes Old Grammar School (LOGS) last week in honour of their former classmate.
By Frankie Elliott
Published 5th Jul 2022, 10:29 BST
The group of friends asked for sponsorship to go straight to David’s mother’s Just Giving page for the RNLI, which has now raised £14005.The group of friends asked for sponsorship to go straight to David’s mother’s Just Giving page for the RNLI, which has now raised £14005.
The group of friends asked for sponsorship to go straight to David’s mother’s Just Giving page for the RNLI, which has now raised £14005.

Will Davies, Chris Mayhew, Lukes Fines, Elliot Taylor, Jacob Hamilton, Fred Regan, Jacob Beauchamp, Daisy Blewitt, George Read and Molly Davies returned to the school to join up with hundreds of current pupils – who were taking part in the annual sponsored 14-mile walk across the South Downs.

Will Davies said: “David was an incredible gent who lived every day to the fullest – always doing something extraordinary and achieving more in his 24 years than some of us dream of doing.

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"As heart-breaking as the loss of David has been for us, it’s incredible to see how many people’s lives he came into and how so many people saw him as the amazing individual he was.”

The money raised from the walk will go to the Bone Cancer Research Trust and the RNLI, who carried out extensive searches along with the police and the coastguard in the days after the incident to try and recover the former LOGS pupil’s body.The money raised from the walk will go to the Bone Cancer Research Trust and the RNLI, who carried out extensive searches along with the police and the coastguard in the days after the incident to try and recover the former LOGS pupil’s body.
The money raised from the walk will go to the Bone Cancer Research Trust and the RNLI, who carried out extensive searches along with the police and the coastguard in the days after the incident to try and recover the former LOGS pupil’s body.

Their friend David Haw’s body was recovered off the Dorset Coast, after he fell from a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) in Poole Harbour in the early hours of May 2.

The money raised from the walk will go to the Bone Cancer Research Trust and the RNLI, who carried out extensive searches, along with the police and the coastguard, in the days after the incident to try and recover the former LOGS pupil’s body.

The group of friends asked for sponsorship to go straight to David’s mother’s Just Giving page for the RNLI, which has now raised £14,005.

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Will continued: “The 14 miles we covered on the day were those we had often walked with David and they brought back lots of happy memories for us all.

"With over 500 students walking, as well as friends of David’s, it made for a truly incredible day and was a sight to see with everyone dotted over the South Downs.

"David loved good company and challenging himself and it was fantastic to see the LOGS community embracing the walk. We hope David is looking down on us and can see how much he meant to us all.”

LOGS raised around £7000 for the RNLI and Bone Cancer Research Trust.

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Headmaster Robert Blewitt said: “We came up with the idea of the annual walk back in 2005 because we wanted the school to come together as a community and raise money for charities close to the school.

"This year it felt really special – showing how LOGS pupils past and present look after each other, are thoughtful and always try to make a positive change.”

Related topics:RNLISussex