THE family and friends of 88-year-old granddad Jack Platt, who died hours after being found following a two-day search, are climbing Mount Snowdon this Sunday to raise funds to create an award in his memory.

Granddad-of-six Jack, who went missing from Reeve Court Retirement Village on Saturday, July 21, was found next to a lake in Waterside Village just after 3pm on Monday, July 23 following a community-led search.

However at 10.30pm that night, his family announced his death via a statement on the Find Jack Platt Facebook page, thanking those who helped find him by saying “our small town rallied together to help a man that they’d never met or even heard about.”

After hundreds of messages from the community wanting to do something in the army veteran's memory, his family have decided to set up a fundraising page with the aim to start an award in Jack's name for those who have done great deeds in the community.

They have already raised £1,130 of their £1,250 goal - so to reach their target they will be climbing Mount Snowdon this Sunday, August 5 alongside a picture of Jack.

Family friend Paul Turner, 21, from Toll Bar, who has organised the walk, said: "When Jack went missing we used our skills from being in the Sea Cadets to organise a search party to track him, and with the help of the fantastic community we did.

"That community helped us again when Jack's family came up with the idea for this award in his memory, and we are only £160 off target.

"I thought it would be great to do something to remember Jack, who loved to go on walks and show off our orienteering skills as present or past cadets, which alongside the community effort, helped find him.

"We will be taking a picture up with us of him so he will be there with us as will his two grandsons Jacob and Oliver."

The award would be The Jack Platt Community Spirit Award and be given to someone who has done a lot for the community within the St Helens Sea Cadets each year.

Jack's son John Platt, added: "As a family, we've known the lads doing this trip for a long time - they were all Royal Marine Cadets at St Helens unit when I was officer in charge.

"Ironically, Paul and I were doing some cadet work on the Saturday morning before I was due to pick dad up - he then became a big part of the search for dad.

"He approached me a few days after dad had passed away asking if they could do something as a tribute to dad.

"We were really quite touched because they'd really "dug out" for our family during the search for dad, yet here they were again, proactively giving up their time to help others.

"It's a beautiful thing really, in a time when we hear such negative things about others - here are these lads showing all the best characteristics in humanity - selflessness, compassion and determination.

"They're young St Helens men with busy social lives and they're willing to put themselves through a pretty arduous experience in tribute to someone and with the hope of raising money to expand the horizons of other St Helens young people. 

"It makes us incredibly proud to be associated with them and what they're doing."

To donate go to gofundme.com/snowdon-for-jack-platt