More than £13,000 raised for family of 'amazing artist' and RNLI volunteer after death at 34

More than £13,000 has been raised for the family of a tattoo artist and RNLI volunteer who has died at the age of 34.

Dunbar Lifeboat Station volunteers and staff say they were “deeply shocked and saddened” by the death of crew member Kerry Gentle, who passed away this week.

The 34-year-old became a volunteer after attending a recruitment event focused on inviting women to become involved, and started at the charity as a shore crew.

She had begun her training to join the lifeboat crew, and also ran her own tattoo studio in East Linton.

Following her death, Ms Gentle’s best friend Kirstyn started a fundraiser for her family “to cover these unexpected expenses”.

In a statement on the fundraiser page, Kirstyn wrote: “When a young person like Kerry is taken from us, finances can be crippling for a family.

“Kerry was too young to have a funeral plan and Norma, Dene and Sara deserve to grieve their beautiful daughter and sister without the disruption of financial worry.

“I’m asking of us all to support them in any way we can to allow them the time to focus on what is important; being together and remembering how special Kerry was and somehow begin to accept what has happened.”

Paying further tribute to her friend, Kirstyn wrote: “Kerry was an incredibly special person, in the 20 years I’ve been blessed to know her, I can’t think of a single time she did something only for herself.

“She was the most selfless angel and the loss we are experiencing is one that will never be replaced. As the news of Kerry’s passing has become known, it is clear how many people’s lives she has touched.”

You can view the fundraiser for Ms Gentle’s family here.