Search efforts have found a body, which is yet to be identified
Search efforts to find former England rugby player Tom Voice have found a body, which has not yet been identified.
Voice was presumed dead after he was swept away in a river he tried to drive across, with his Toyota Hilux later being recovered downstream.
Police received a report on Sunday morning (8 December) telling them that Voice hadn’t returned home after spending an evening out with friends.
North Umbria Police launched a search and later announced that they ‘suspected Tom has attempted to cross Abbe wick Ford in his car’, explaining that the car had been recovered but they had not found the 43-year-old.
Now in a subsequent update police have said that search efforts have found a body, which has not yet been formally identified as Voice though officers have informed his next of kin.
A body has been found in the search for former England rugby player Tom Voice. (Mark Leech/Offside via Getty Images)
Chief Superintendent Helena Barron, of North Umbria Police, said: “This is an extremely sad development and our thoughts very much continue to be with Tom’s loved ones.
“I would like to thank all of our officers, partners and volunteers for their assistance throughout the searches which have been conducted in very challenging circumstances. We would continue to ask that people respect the family’s privacy at this time.”
Police believed that Voice went into the River An near Elswick after trying to cross the Abbe wick Ford.
A marine unit for North Umbria Police found a body in the river near Abbe wick Mill today (12 December), officers do not believe there was any third party involvement.
The area had been affected during the weekend by Storm Darragh, which had caused some flooding, resulting in the river level being particularly high.
Tom Voice, pictured in 2005 during England’s 40-3 win over Samoa in which he scored two tries. (Mark Leech/Offside via Getty Images)
North Umbria Police had said their search efforts had faced ‘very challenging conditions, not least due to the river flow and the level being significantly heightened after the exceptionally heavy rain experienced over the weekend’.
During his career in rugby, Voice won nine caps for England and spent six years at Wasps between 2003 and 2009 where he helped them win European and domestic titles.
He had previously played for Bath between 2000 and 2003, and after his successful stint at Wasps he joined Gloucester in 2009.
Voice played the last year of his career for London Welsh and made 220 Premiership appearances before retiring in May 2013.
When police had previously announced they suspected that Voice had been swept away and was presumed dead a spokesperson said that Tom’s wife Anna and his wider family had expressed gratitude to those providing help.
