September 08, 2026 - 262 views
The family of Lolita Viša, whose body was discovered in the sea off Llandudno's Great Orme last month, has raised more than £7,000 through a fundraising appeal to help bring her home to Latvia.
Lolita, 32, had been reported missing on 22 August, before her body was discovered in the water off the West Shore side of the Great Orme on 26 August.
A member of the public raised the alarm after seeing a body in the water, with HM Coastguard and Conwy RNLI involved in the recovery. An inquest has since been opened and adjourned.
Her family has now launched a GoFundMe appeal to help pay for funeral costs and the expenses involved in returning her to Latvia, where they want her to be laid to rest.
The appeal, organised by family member Wiktoria Januszewska, had raised more than £7,000 from more than 240 donations when checked today, although the family had initially set a £5,000 target.
Writing on the fundraising page, Wiktoria said the family had been left "heartbroken" by Lolita's death and had not been financially prepared for the unexpected costs.
She described Lolita as "bubbly and a joy to be around", adding that she had plenty of stories to tell about her travels and the places she had visited.
The family says they want to give Lolita the funeral and farewell she deserves and bring her home to Latvia.
They have thanked everyone who has donated or shared the appeal, saying that spreading her story can also help if people are unable to contribute financially.
Lolita was a Digital Media Librarian at Channel 4 and had previously worked for streaming company DAZN. She had travelled to North Wales in the days before her death. An inquest hearing was told that she had travelled from Halifax to visit her father in Manchester before travelling onwards to Liverpool and Llandudno.
A post-mortem examination found injuries consistent with time spent submerged in water, and the inquest has been adjourned to a later date.
The fundraising appeal can be found on GoFundMe – In memory of Lolita Visa.
