Story By: Lee Bullen,Sub Editor: Joseph Golder,Agency: Central European News

A globe-trotting You Tube celebrity sailor from the United States who contracted COVID-19 in South Africa has died in a Cape Town hospital aged 69.

Patrick Childress, who ran the ‘Patrick Childress Sailing’ YouTube channel with 40,000 subscribers that has a number of viral videos, died at Groote Schuur Hospital in the South African city of Cape Town from COVID-19 complications.

Patrick and his wife Rebecca have been sailing around the world for several years and they were holidaying in South Africa when the country went into lockdown.

The couple was stranded on their yacht ‘Brick House’ at the Hout Bay marina where they kept up their social media activity and carried out maintenance on the vessel.

However, they both contracted COVID-19, and Patrick was admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit.

Following Patrick’s death, Rebecca said on their website that she would continue their voyage alone, adding: “Now I’m just sitting here – and I can’t believe this world does not have Patrick in it anymore.

“I’m just so disappointed, lost and so lonely for my best friend. I just can’t believe he is gone now. It wasn’t supposed to happen. With so many people supporting him around the world, and the love of my life, how could things go so wrong?”

The couple met during their sailing trips and were married in 2007. They lived for 13 years onboard their 40-foot yacht.

Patrick used to own a home improvement company in Rhode Island in the US before retiring to sail the world in Brick House.

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