Cam Shaw: Friends of boxer who died snorkelling fundraise to bring him home

Cam Shaw, an undefeated boxer, died while snorkelling in Australia in last month

Friends of a former boxer who died while snorkelling in Australia say they have been "overwhelmed with the love and support" from around the world.

Cam Shaw, 25, from York, died on the Great Barrier Reef on 24 October.

Friend Chloe Ridsdale said a fundraising campaign to bring his body back to the UK had raised more than £15,000 in donations from friends.

"If this is the last thing we can do for Cam, this is what we're doing," she said.

She described Mr Shaw, who was travelling the world during a break in his boxing career, as someone who "always got the best out of life".

The undefeated athlete was fulfilling a life goal by snorkelling the coral reef off the Australian coast when the accident happened, Ms Ridsdale said.

Mr Shaw had been travelling as part of his work as a ski instructor and spent six months in New Zealand before the trip to Queensland.

"We've received messages from people in the UK, Europe, New Zealand and Australia. It's been incredible," said Ms Ridsdale.

"His mum and dad's house is like a florist's. It's absolutely full of flowers and they are so overwhelmed with the love and support.

"We all knew it was going to be nothing less for Cam. It was inevitable everyone was going to miss him."

'He loved a party'

A fundraising campaign had been launched to pay for his body to be brought back to the UK as it was unclear if he had travel insurance for the Australian leg of the trip.

It was started by Ms Ridsdale to help Mr Shaw's family and give them one less thing to worry about, she said.

"His mum will be very overwhelmed by the size of the funeral. I don't think she knows quite how popular he was. We just know it's what he'd want, and he loved a party," she added.

The Foreign Office confirmed staff were in contact and supporting the family of a British man who had died in Australia.