Mother of Australian man killed in LA fires recounts desperate efforts to save son

The mother of an Australian man who died in the Los Angeles wildfires has recounted her desperate efforts to save her son, pleading for people to remember him as a "brave" and "beautiful soul." Rory Sykes tragically perished earlier this week when the Malibu property he shared with his mother was engulfed by the Palisades fire. The 32-year-old, who had cerebral palsy, lived in a separate cottage near the main house.

His mother, Shelley Sykes, stated that she rushed to the cottage immediately when she saw embers falling on the roof. She said she tried to put out the fire with a hose, but there was no water. She recalled, "Rory locked the door. He wouldn't come out because his feet were swollen, and he needed to go to the bathroom… He said, 'Mum, leave me, go and look after yourself. I'll be okay.'" She added, "No mother leaves their child when there are flames all around."

Ms. Sykes said she rushed to the nearest fire station, only to be told they also did not have sufficient water. She was told to wait while a crew was dispatched to the area. When they returned, she said they solemnly asked her to return to the property. She said, "My heart was going at six million miles an hour, but when I got there, I was shocked... All three fire-proof and up-to-code cottages were burnt to the ground in an hour." She added, "There was nothing. It was all black ash. No walls, no tiles from his shower. Nothing was left. Just blackness." She stated that authorities are still working to formally confirm her son's death, given the extent of the destruction.

Ms. Sykes described Rory as a "compassionate" individual who raised money for charities and participated in motivational speaking. She said he was also a "computer whiz" who enjoyed playing online games with people all over the world. "We need people to know and be inspired that Rory was brave and a beautiful soul," she said. "I was in a car accident when I was pregnant, so he was born blind. They said he'd never see or walk. But he defied those predictions." She emphasized, "No life should be forgotten. And his was absolutely special."

Rory Sykes was an Australian citizen who lived there as a child before moving to the United States. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the federal government is in close contact with his family. Senator Wong stated on Twitter (now known as X): “Our thoughts are with the family of Australian man, Rory Sykes, at this devastating time. We continue to liaise with authorities in Los Angeles as they work to confirm his death.” A spokesperson for the area's water department denied claims of water shortages in the area, telling NBC that there were no disruptions to the water supply for local firefighters.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has called for an independent review into why some fire hydrants ran dry during the fires and why a reservoir near Palisades was not supplying water. According to the coroner, the number of confirmed deaths in the fires has risen to 16. Five of those were discovered in the Palisades fire zone, and 11 were discovered in the Eaton fire zone. The Los Angeles County coroner released a list of deaths but did not provide any identifying details. But some families have begun to come forward to mourn their loved ones. Among them, according to multiple US news outlets, is Randall "Randy" Miode.

His mother told CNN that the 55-year-old died in his cherished Malibu home, which friends called the "Crab Shack." Relatives also told US media that Anthony Mitchell died with his son, Justin, at his home in Altadena. Relatives told NBC News that Anthony Mitchell, who used a wheelchair after having a leg amputated last year, refused to leave Justin, who had cerebral palsy.