Dad raising funds for hurricane-hit island

A DAD from Saltash is calling for support from Jamaica after witnessing the devastation of Hurricane Melissa first hand.

- By BRITTA ZELTMANN

Dave Hale moved to Kingston 18 months ago and has been working for a packaging company there ever since.

But last week the lives of those around him were shattered when category five hurricane Melissa made landfall, battering homes and killing dozens of people across the Caribbean.

The 46-year-old said he managed to “dodge a bullet” as the hurricane’s path largely avoided Kingston in the 11th hour. Nearby areas like Black River and Montego Bay, however, are among the worst hit, with Dave and his colleagues now doing everything they can to provide support.

“People are desperate,” he said. “Absolutely desperate, and they can’t see where help is coming from. Black River has been really badly hit and affected but the other areas where the path followed, from what we've seen, we haven’t seen any support.”