A former Australian child star has tragically died in the Los Angeles wildfires that devastated his family's Malibu estate earlier this week, his mother confirmed.
Rory Callum Sykes was at the family's 17-acre Mount Malibu TV Studios estate, where he lived in his own cottage when it was destroyed by fire on January 8, his mother Shelley Sykes shared on X Thursday.
Shelley Sykes remembered her son, known for his role in the 1998 British TV series Kiddy Kapers, as "beautiful" and "wonderful," expressing that she is "totally heartbroken" by his loss.
Shelley Sykes recounted her desperate attempts to save her property and her son during the wildfire, explaining that she tried to extinguish cinders on the roof using a hose but was unable to because the water wasn't working.
"He said, 'Mom, leave me,' and no mom can leave their kid. And I've got a broken arm—I couldn't lift him, I couldn't move him," Sykes tearfully told Australia's 10 News First.
Her son, Rory Callum Sykes, 32, was born blind and with cerebral palsy on July 29, 1992. He gained fame for his inspirational speeches on overcoming disability and was the co-founder of Happy Charity, an organization dedicated to providing "Hope, Happiness & Health to those that are Hurting," according to its website.
"He overcame so much with surgeries and therapies to regain his sight and to be able to learn to walk. Despite the pain, he still enthused about traveling the world with me from Africa to Antarctica," Shelley Sykes wrote on X.
Los Angeles County officials have reported that at least five people have died in the Palisades Fire, though it remains unclear whether Rory Callum Sykes is among those included in that count.
The Palisades Fire ignited around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 7, in the Pacific Palisades area. Since then, it has consumed more than 20,000 acres across Los Angeles and Malibu, leaving thousands of structures in ruins. As of Saturday, the fire is 11% contained.
