Funeral today for Whangaparāoa teen who died in freak accident

Louis Duval, 15, died in a freak accident on Sunday. Photo / Givealittle

An aspiring young photographer who died in a freak accident will be farewelled at a funeral service this morning.

Louis Duval, 15, died on Sunday after tripping and hitting his head on some tiles.

His funeral is to be held at 11am at the Whangaparāoa Baptist Church at what is expected to be a packed out service.

The teenager, a year 11 student at Whangaparāoa College, was well-known for his love for photography and videography.

He had started his own website, Ikan Images, and described himself as "all about capturing the moment and delivering high quality images and video for clients."

A tribute shared by his church described Louis as a much loved member of the youth group who had helped put the services together for online access when the country was under Covid-19 lockdown.

"He was an incredibly talented young man with a bright future. His passing is shocking and heartbreaking," the church said online.

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Louis' funeral comes as donations to help his family have soared on a Givealittle fundraising page set up by family friends to help pay for funeral costs.

By 8.30am, donations had almost reached $30,000.

It was revealed this week that Louis' family plan to use any leftover money for the establishment of a photography scholarship at his high school; as well as towards a mission project he was a supporter of in the Philippines.

Louis is survived by his parents Stu and Lynette and his older brother Pierre.