A renewed search is being planned for missing Stornoway teenager, Aleksandr Benga.
Over £3,000 was donated within a few hours of the online funding page going live on Saturday evening.
Aleksandr was last seen in the Willowglen area of the Lews Castle Grounds, Stornoway, two months ago on 18 November.
Despite extensive searches over a two week period and police enquiries there has
been no success in tracing the 16-year-old so far.
Now a fund - Search Fund For Aleksandr Benga - has been set up in a bid to hire a
team deploying specialist search dogs and drones to scour the Lews Castle Grounds.
Organisers are a small group of individuals who approached Aleksandr’s distraught mum, Viktoria, to offer some help to try and find outside assistance.
They said: “With Viktoria’s blessing we have liaised with Specialist Search Dog, a charity which had assisted in over 70 searches in Scotland alone.
“In addition to the dogs they also have drone specialists who will also be assisting with the search.”
The team hope to arrive on Lewis in around two weeks.
The online fundraiser is to help with search costs including travel expenses for the team coming from various locations in the UK, ferry costs, fuel, food and accommodation.
An initial target amount is set at £5,000.
“Every single penny we raise will be used for the search and every single penny matters so please give what you can,” say organisers.
Aleksandr is described as 6ft 2ins tall, of slim build with short brown hair. When last seen, he was wearing a beige jumper and black jeans. He may also have a red jacket and a yellow beanie hat.
The donation page is available at: Search Fund For Aleksandr Benga.
Funding appeal launched for renewed search to find missing Stornoway teenager, Aleksandr Benga
19 January 2025