A Victoria man died Monday evening after suffering a stroke while attempting a sailing voyage to circumnavigate the globe.
Glenn Wakefield had set out on September 6, 2020 with the intention of completing a solo circumnavigation in his sailboat, West Wind II.
According to a blog documenting the voyage, Wakefield sent a message on Thursday, September 17 at about 1:30 p.m. asking for medical assistance.
Family members, including his wife Marylou, kept the blog updated remotely from Victoria, adding on September 18 that Glenn had been admitted to a hospital in California after being rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.
In another update, Wakefield’s family posted that he had suffered a massive stroke, and they had started a GoFundMe to raise money for his hospital bills and to bring him home for care.
They added that Glenn never intended to travel to U.S. soil and did not have U.S. medical insurance.
The fundraiser eventually received over $150,000 in donations, and Wakefield was transported back to Victoria on September 29, and placed in an Intensive Care Unit in critical condition.
His family later posted that his medical team had informed them his condition was unlikely to improve.
On Tuesday, they informed the public that Glenn Wakefield had passed away Monday evening, at 10:14 p.m.
A message signed by Marylou Wakefield and the couple’s two daughters, Claire and Nicola, thanked donors and supporters for their generosity.
“As in life, Glenn chose the way he wanted to die which was to do it on his own terms, and without any assistance,” the family wrote.
“He left this world much like he lived it, surrounded by his adoring family, who wished him fair winds and a smooth journey.”
The Wakefields added they would be sharing details for a tribute and celebration of Glenn’s life in weeks to come.
