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Former England rugby star feared dead in flood.

Police fear former England rugby international Tom Voyce has died after he went missing in an area of Northumberland which was flooded during Storm Darragh.

Northumbria Police began its search on Sunday lunchtime when the 43-year-old did not return home from an evening with friends.

It is suspected Mr Voyce attempted to cross Abberwick Ford, near Alnwick, in his car which was then pulled along by the current of the river.

Officers have since recovered the vehicle, but a force spokesperson said: "It is believed in his attempts to escape he has been swept away and tragically died.

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[thesocialchronicles]

The wife of former England rugby star Tom Voyce has said "absolutely devastated and heartbroken doesn't even describe how we feel", following his death.A body found in an area in Northumberland flooded during Storm Darragh has been confirmed as that of the missing 43-year-old. The former England international was reported missing on Sunday and police believe he tried to cross Abberwick Ford, near the village of Bolton, in a vehicle which was then pulled along by the current.Anna Voyce paid tribute to her husband and said: "My main focus now is our son Oscar having done what he asked, 'find Daddy'."Northumbria Police confirmed on Thursday its Marine Unit had discovered a body near Abberwick Mill, following a large-scale search."Tom would be blown away by the amount of people that were out there helping," Mrs Voyce said."We have all been overwhelmed by the support of friends, many travelling from far afield to help with the search."We are just so lucky to live in such a special community that pulled together to find Tom." 2024-12-13 18:33:05 https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/bc30/live/ed5094f0-b978-11ef-b092-b1cccc33a085.jpg

[thesocialchronicles]

Family handoutTom Voyce retired from rugby in 2013 and has been living in Alnwick since 2020A body has been found in the search for former England rugby international Tom Voyce, who went missing in an area flooded during Storm Darragh.Police feared the 43-year-old had died after trying to cross Abberwick Ford, near Bolton, Northumberland, in a vehicle which was then pulled along by the current.A search had been ongoing since Sunday, but Northumbria Police's Marine Unit discovered a body near Abberwick Mill earlier.Formal identification is yet to take place, but Mr Voyce's next of kin have been notified. Concerns were raised after Mr Voyce, who was capped nine times for England from 2001 until 2006, had not returned home from being out with friends on Saturday evening.ReutersFormer rugby player Tom Voyce, pictured here during his time at Gloucester, had been missing since SundayNorthumbria Police's Ch Supt Helena Barron said: "This is an extremely sad development and our thoughts very much continue to be with Mr Voyce's loved ones."Officers do not believe there to be any third-party involvement.The rugby player's family and friends were involved in the search alongside the police, mountain rescue teams and the National Police Air Service.His wife Anna and family previously thanked police, friends and the local community for their help and support.PA MediaNorthumbria Police's Marine Unit discovered a body earlierThe search was carried out in "very challenging" conditions due to the river flow and level being heightened after the heavy rain over the weekend, police said.Mr Voyce, from Truro in Cornwall, played for Wasps, Bath and Gloucester before retiring from the sport in 2013.He previously worked for the bank Investec and has been living in Alnwick since 2020.PA MediaThe body was found in the River Aln near Abberwick MillWriting on X on Wednesday, Rugby World Cup winner Lawrence Dallaglio said: "It's the most horrific news and all I would say at this juncture is that please let us all respect Tom's family and their suffering right now and keep them in all our thoughts."Matt Dawson, who played alongside Mr Voyce at Wasps between 2004 and 2006, previously said he could not "express his sadness".Premiership Rugby said it was "devastated" and thinking about Mr Voyce's loved ones. 2024-12-12 16:27:45 https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/6f72/live/b0172970-b8a4-11ef-aff0-072ce821b6ab.jpg

[thesocialchronicles]

Family handoutMr Voyce's family have expressed their gratitude for all the help and support from police, friends and the local communityPolice fear former England rugby international Tom Voyce may have died after he went missing in an area of Northumberland which was flooded during Storm Darragh.Northumbria Police said it received a report on Sunday the 43-year-old had not returned to his home following an evening with friends.It is suspected Mr Voyce attempted to cross Abberwick Ford, near Alnwick, in his car which was then pulled along by the current of the river.Officers have since recovered his car, but a force spokesperson said: "It is believed in his attempts to escape he has been swept away and tragically died." The storm brought severe weather to the UK from the early hours of Saturday morning, prompting a number of flood warnings.PATom Voyce has not returned home following an evening with friends on SaturdayMr Voyce, from Truro in Cornwall, played for England from 2001 until 2006, before retiring from the sport in 2013.He has been living in Alnwick since 2020.Specialist officers from the Northumbria Police's Marine Section, the National Police Air Service, drones and dog handlers have all been deployed in the search. Volunteers from the North of Tyne Mountain Rescue have also been assisting alongside Mr Voyce's family and friends. 2024-12-10 17:24:15 https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/7fb0/live/c708e8d0-b719-11ef-a2ca-e99d0c9a24e3.jpg