Lee-on-the-Solent mum marks 200 days of braving the waves for Gosport teenager Elin Martin who died after being hit by a bus in Portsmouth

Friends and family of Elin Martin are set to come together to fondly remember the 18-year-old from Gosport who died after a collision with a bus near Gunwharf Quays in January.

The group known as the ‘salty sunflowers’ are expected to gather on the seafront at Hill Head at 6.30pm tomorrow to join Samantha Hope for her 200th dip in the sea, in memory of Elin.

In March this year Samantha, mum to Elin’s boyfriend of three years Ethan Hope, decided to take daily dips in memory of Elin, and to raise funds for leprosy charity Lepra after Elin – who had offers to study medicine at university – took an interest in neglected tropical diseases such as leprosy.

Samantha said: ‘We just want to raise awareness for it, Elin will never get a chance to help those people but doing this will raise money towards helping them have a better life.’

Since March, Samantha has already hit the 100 days milestone and tomorrow will mark 200 days of taking dips in the sea for Lepra, with her next target 365 consecutive days.

Samantha, who will be joined by Elin’s mum added: ‘On that first swim on March 1, [Elin’s] mum came in, she’s never done wild swimming before, she saw a seal that day and she said: “It felt like Elin was with us.”

Elin’s boyfriend Ethan, who described her as ‘the love of [his] life’, will also be joining his mum on the 200th dip tomorrow in support of the charity and to remember Elin who he says he ‘lost too soon’.

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Samantha says Elin’s loss has had huge impact on the whole family, and she will ‘forever’ be in their hearts.

‘She spent a lot of time at our house, and my daughter is only nine so it’s had quite an impact on her as well,’ she said.

‘All of Ethan's friends are amazing and have looked after her.’

This is the second fundraiser held in Elin’s name for the charity, with the other hosted by Elin’s close friend Holly Gladding, raising over £2,000.

To donate visit justgiving.com/fundraising/samihope.