A FATHER-OF-THREE died during a 24 hour gaming marathon he was livestreaming to raise money for the Make A Wish foundation.

Popular gamer Brian Vigneault, who went under the username Poshybrid, is believed to have disappeared from view during the 22nd hour of the live stream on gaming network Twitch.

2 Twitch gamer Brian Vigneault died during a 24-hour marathon playing PC game World of Tanks

Viewers grew concerned when Vigneault, from Virginia Beach in the USA, failed to return to his webcam after leaving to smoke a cigarette at around 3.30am CST (9.30GMT).

At around 11AM moderators and viewers assumed he had fallen asleep, but later the following evening a pal saw him online and sent him a message.

He was met with a response from a person claiming to be a detective from the police department, who explained that Mr Vigneault had died.

2 Brian Vigneault in a picture posted on Facebook before his tragic death

Virginia Police confirmed Mr Vigneault had passed away, but could not reveal the circumstances behind his death.

It's understood to be the first time a gamer has died on the platform.

The gaming community Fame paid tribute to Brian on their Facebook page and wrote: "Sad news from Virginia beach , one of the most famous NA streamers and a member of our clan Poshybrid has passed away at the age of 35.

"We just can not find words to describe how sad is this moment for all of us and for sure this game will not be the same without the legend.

"Maybe the saddest lines can not really be written , and the saddest thoughts can not really be uttered, let's all hope that he is in a better place right now and may his soul Rest in Peace, he will never be forgotten.

"A person who stays in our hearts never dies."

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The live stream was automatically switched off, but recovered clips of Vigneault's alleged last moments have been viewed more than 20,000 times on Twitch.

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