Police divers have been involved in searches for missing Tom Voyce who is believed to have died while driving across a flood-swollen river during Storm Darragh.
Searches for the ex-England rugby union player continued on Wednesday after the 43-year-old was reported missing on Sunday. Concerns were raised after he failed to return home after an evening with friends.
It is believed that Mr Voyce was trying to cross the River Aln, near Alnwick, Northumberland, using Abberwick Ford when his car became caught up in the current of the river. It is understood that his Toyota Hilux was recovered around 15 metres downstream from the point where he tried to cross the river, however, Mr Voyce is yet to be found
On Wednesday morning searchers gathered to scour the banks of the river from the ford between Bolton and Abberwick to the sea at Alnmouth.
Officers from Northumbria Police’s Marine Unit waded into the River Aln to search the waters. Equipped with sticks, the officers tapped their way along the river heading downstream from the ford. While officers from the coastguard joined the search using a dinghy, accompanied by a trained dog.
Volunteers from the North of Tyne Mountain Rescue and the Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team also joined the search alongside Mr Voyce’s family and friends. Members of the public are asked not to attend the scene to conduct their own searches.
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