Family overwhelmed by response to new charity

Sister of kayaker who died during sea trip aims to promote personal locator beacons

The family of a Fettercairn kayaker say they have been “overwhelmed” at the response to a charity campaign set up in his name.

Dominic Jackson was reported missing last Sunday night after he failed to return from a solo sea kayaking trip off Portsoy, on the north coast of Aberdeenshire. His body was found on Thursday. His sister Ellie Jackson said the accident was preventable if her brother had been carrying a personal locator beacon (PLB).

She said that the new charity would promote the use of PLBs in the hope of saving lives in the future.

Since starting the Crowdfunding campaign on Friday, more than £6,000 has been pledged by more than 200 people.

Responding to the donations coming in on the JustGiving page, Ms Jackson said: “So overwhelmed at how quickly this money has been raised for Dom’s campaign.

“What amazingly generous people you are and our heartfelt thanks goes out to each and every one of you.

“So good to have some positivity to come out of this tragedy. As Dom would have said, ‘blessings to you all’.”

She said the first £5,000 would be used to set up the charity and extra funds then used to promote the use of PLBs among water users and the development of an app and website.

The charity also plans to educate children and young people, create the ability to hire out PLBs and to fund the availability of PLBs to groups of water users and charities.

Mr Jackson had travelled to Portsoy from his home in Fettercairn, south Aberdeenshire, a week past Friday.

A major land, air and sea search had been under way since he was reported missing on Sunday.

Around 10 members of Mr Jackson’s family, including his father Jeremy Jackson, brothers Stuart Jackson and Leighton Chubb and sister Kirstie Maywood, joined the search efforts in the north east.

The family is originally from Uckfield near Brighton but Mr Jackson, one of six siblings, lived in Aberdeenshire for around 13 years, running a gardening business in the Laurencekirk area.

More than 1,000 people joined a Find Dom Facebook page which was set up to help coordinate the search for him.

Picture: Newsline Media. Dominic Jackson’s body was found near Lybster in Caithness, four days after he had been reported missing.