FRIENDS of a teenager who drowned in York’s River Foss have raised more than £1,200 towards an appeal to buy a new rescue boat for the city after completing a gruelling challenge.

Sonny Ferry’s pals, Charlie Tyler, Adam Turner and David Raffan, ran four miles every four hours for 48 hours to raise £1,180 for the Sunshine Campaign, which was launched by Sonny’s parents following his death in April 2019. They wanted to try to help prevent further tragedies by buying a state-of-the-art new craft for York Rescue Boat.

Sonny’s mother Kate, of Rutland, said the lads had been trying to plan a fundraising event for a long time but Covid had made it really difficult, "so when Charlie told us of this incredible challenge we were really overwhelmed".

She said: "We just think that they are amazing young men, and we are so grateful for the generosity of time and effort that they have given, and for the generosity of everyone who has donated to help us reach our total.”

Charlie said Sonny was not alone in dying in York’s rivers, as five other families’ lives were ripped apart when their loved ones died in similar circumstances in 2019.

“After finishing the challenge in the early hours of Friday morning and recovering for a couple of days, the three of us would like to thank every single person who has donated,” he said.

“We really are amazed that we managed to break the £1,000 target and it certainly makes the aches and pains more manageable.”

Kate said that with a target of £45,000, the total raised was now approaching £35,000 and her niece Kelly in Hastings was currently in the third week of running 100 miles in 30 days for the appeal, and was a "force of nature", having already organised two fundraising events.