Widow's campaign to set up search and rescue unit

A widow is helping to set up a canine search and rescue unit after her late husband was found deceased in woodland.

Catherine Jayaram lost her husband Ramaswamy Jayaram, 56, in early July after he went missing from Ipswich.

She called on the help of Darren Debenham, of Guardian K9 Training Centre in Claydon, and his search and rescue dogs - however, her husband's body was later found by a group of friends.

Mrs Jayaram now wants to help Mr Debenham set up an official canine search and rescue unit to support others with missing relatives.

Mr Debenham said his aim would be to support searches conducted by the police and other organisations.

"The idea is to all work together," he said.

Thirty-six hours after her husband had gone missing, Mrs Jayaram called Mr Debenham to see if he could help with the search.

"It felt like we were really throwing everything at it," she said.

"Darren came to my house, he took an item of my husband's clothing, and within two hours of going out to search he was able to identify an area that my husband had been pacing."

Mr Jayaram, who worked for the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, was found dead in Braziers Wood at 09:25 BST on 3 July, three days after he was reported missing.

Mrs Jayaram said her husband's motto in life was where you can help others, you should.

She is using this inspiration to help raise enough money to buy a former ambulance vehicle to establish a new canine search and rescue unit that Mr Debenham will name DK9 Search and Rescue.

It will be a voluntary unit to run alongside his training centre, and will work to complement and support other official organisations like the police.

"I'll never be able to tell you if the outcome would have been different for my husband, however he would have been found quicker had we had a unit available like the one we're proposing to set up now," Mrs Jayaram continued.

"As a family that have gone through this, I can't even begin to tell you how much despair you feel when someone is missing.

"You really want the universe looking for them."

Through his business, Mr Debenham already trains specialist dogs to help in search and rescue operations.

He said he was regularly called upon by police forces across the world to help in searches.

"Obviously we've got to be careful... we can't just turn up," he explained.

"We have to speak with the police who have got their search and rescue teams as well.

"We're not here to step on anyone's toes."

Mr Debenham said a repurposed ambulance would be able to hold all the equipment and dogs, and could be taken further afield to help operations.

"We've got a lot of forces around the UK saying if they were closer they would be using us," he continued.

"Now they can, because we're getting the vehicles in to be able to deploy and go anywhere around the UK and outside the UK if they are needed.

"It's about bringing that person home and helping that family.

"The families then know the police and all the other forces are using every resource they can to help find that missing person."

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