The Alanson community is rallying around a local family after the tragic drowning of 14-year-old Jackson McCardle on Sunday, Aug. 3.
A GoFundMe has been established to help McCardle’s family “with immediate expenses and provide support as they navigate this unimaginable loss,” according to the campaign’s description.
According to the Emmet County Sheriff’s Office, authorities were dispatched to Sturgeon Bay Beach at around 5:41 p.m. on Sunday after receiving a distress call reporting that two teenage boys were struggling to stay afloat. A bystander saved one teenager, but McCardle went underwater and did not resurface.
McCardle was about to begin his freshman year at Alanson Public Schools, where he has attended since kindergarten. School officials made counseling available this week to support McCardle’s friends and family.
“Jackson was the kid who lit up the room when he walked in, kind-hearted, full of energy and always ready with a smile or helping hand,” Alanson Superintendent Rachelle Cook wrote on the district’s Facebook page. “Jackson was incredibly creative, his artwork was way beyond his years in detail and design. He was a thoughtful young man who expressed himself with originality and precision. He made a difference just by being himself. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the McCardle family and all of Jackson’s friends during this incredibly difficult time.”
As of Thursday, Aug. 7, the GoFundMe has raised more than $8,000 for the McCardle family. To donate, visit gofundme.com/f/support-the-mccardle-family-during-their-time-of-loss.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: GoFundMe established for Alanson family after teen’s tragic drowning
Reporting by Jillian Fellows, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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