The bereaved family of a County Durham father-of-two whose body was found by rescuers after a six-week search have thanked the team who helped look for him.
Braydon Wright, 22, went missing in his hometown of Willington in October 2023 - sparking an extensive police and mountain rescue search for him.
Over six weeks, Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team, Durham Police, Northumbria Police's Dog Unit, and Braydon's family and friends all searched the area for his whereabouts.
In early December, Braydon’s body was found by members of the Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team around two miles from where he was last seen.
Following his death, Braydon’s family and friends organised various fundraising events, including an online raffle supported by many businesses, to raise money for the Team in Braydon’s memory.
The whole community got behind the fundraising and so far, the total reached is more than £4,500.
Two of Braydon’s family are also running the Great North Run in aid of the team.
In tribute to the 22-year-old, Braydon's family attended Teasdale and Weardale’s operational base in Durham last week to hand over the funds and thank those who searched for him and found his body.
As well as presenting cheques the family also brought hampers for the team and a special doggy hamper which was received by the rescue team's search dogs.
During the visit, Braydon's mum, Gemma, expressed gratitude to the mountain rescue team who looked for him and described her son as a family man - a father of twin boys who he adored, and someone who loved drawing and playing guitar.
Gemma, Braydon’s mum, said “We are extremely grateful for what you all did for our family in such a difficult time and the number of hours put in, your help will always be remembered with deep appreciation.”
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Team Leader of Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team, Steve Owers, has described the gesture from Braydon's family as an opportunity for "closure".
He added: “We really appreciate this fantastic donation from Braydon’s family, friends and the local community. As a charity, consisting only of volunteers, we rely very much on public donations to keep the team running.
"We very much appreciated the opportunity to meet and talk to Braydon’s family, an opportunity we rely get especially in these circumstances.
"Hopefully this will give the family some closure and help them move on while never forgetting Braydon.”
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