Susan Taylor, 34, dies in Boulogne hospital after collapsing with mile to go in charity swim to France

A British woman has died a mile off the coast of France after almost completing an attempt to swim across the Channel to raise money for charity.

Susan Taylor, a 34-year-old accountant from Barwell, Leicestershire, became ill on Sunday afternoon when she was only a mile away from finishing the charity swim. She was airlifted by a French navy helicopter to a hospital in Boulogne but was declared dead at around 7pm.

By Monday evening, Taylor's fundraising webpage, where she was collecting money for Rainbows children's hospice in Loughborough and Diabetes UK, had raised more than £41,500. Comedian David Walliams, who swam the Channel himself for charity, was the biggest donor.

Many givers left messages of condolence on the website. "Deepest sympathies to all of Susan's family and friends. What a brave woman taking on such an incredible challenge and for such a good cause," wrote Kate from Leicester.

"I am glad something good has come out of this tragic death," added Steffan Merrick.

Taylor set off from the UK in the early hours of Sunday for the swim. She was swimming alongside a support boat but as she entered Wissant bay, near Cap Gris Nez, she got into "serious difficulty", a French police source said.

Taylor's support crew radioed for a defibrillator at about 5pm, and the French navy evacuated her to hospital. "She was swimming from Britain, and was well supported," a police source said.

The cause of Taylor's death is not yet known but she was swimming on one of the hottest days of the year, with water temperatures of around 15C.

Taylor, who had temporarily given up work to train for the swim, set off from Samphire Hoe in Kent at about 1am on Sunday and was covered in goose fat.

The 21-mile swim across one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world was expected to take her about 15 hours. Before the swim, she told the Hinckley Times: "I used to be with the St John Ambulance and I met a woman who said to me, 'You'll swim the Channel one day.'"

Throughout the swim, which Taylor was hoping would raise thousands of pounds, her support team posted pictures of her progress on Facebook and asked friends for messages of support that they could use to cheer her on.

Friends and family posted their encouragement in messages which became increasingly worried as no news was given about the swimmer.

Following her death, a message from her sister read: "Whilst attempting to swim the English Channel yesterday my sister, Susan, collapsed suddenly in the water.

"She was immediately recovered from the water and treated on the support boat. She was then airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in Boulogne. Susan tragically passed away.

"Thank you for your messages of support. Please respect the family's privacy whilst they come to terms with what has happened. If you would like to leave a sign of respect please feel free to donate to her fundraising page."

One commenter, Ian Holt, said Taylor had given him encouragement for his own Channel crossing: "Deeply saddened, we encouraged each other recently for our respective Channel swims, and I followed the swim all day willing her on." "Although we didn't meet she was a beautiful person and leaves the world a better place for having had her years of sparkle and generosity. RIP."

Barbara Young, chief executive at Diabetes UK, offered condolences to Taylor's family. "We are extremely sad to hear of the tragic death of Susan Taylor during her Channel swim, which she organised independently to raise funds for us," she said. "We have spoken to Susan's family and have offered our support and our heartfelt condolences. Our thoughts are with Susan's family at this sad time."

British officials authorised a number of charity swimmers to cross the Channel on Sunday. French officials do not allow swimmers to leave from France because of the dangers of swimming in busy shipping lanes, as well as dangerous currents and changing weather conditions.

Captain Matthew Webb made the first unassisted swim across the Strait of Dover in 1875 and since then seven people have died attempting the feat. In July 2012 Paraic Casey, a 45-year-old member of the Sandycove swimming club in Cork, Ireland, died attempting the swim.