by A body has been found in a river in search of former England rugby star Tom Voyce who went missing during Storm Darragh.
Northumbria Police said the 43-year-old was likely to have been swept away in the River Aln, near Alnwick, Northumberland, on Saturday, as weather warnings were in force across the country.
Police believe he was trying to cross Abberwick Ford, but his 4×4 van was swept away by the river’s current, which had become high due to heavy rain from the storm.
While the world of rugby expresses its sadness following this discovery, here is everything we know about Tom Voyce.
Who is Tom Voyce?
Former England rugby winger Tom Voyce grew up on a family farm in Truro on January 5, 1981 before leaving Cornwall at the age of 16 to join Bath.
Mr Voyce won nine England caps between 2001 and 2006, scoring three tries, including two against Samoa in his first Test appearance at Twickenham in 2005.
He is best known for helping London Wasps win the Premiership title at Twickenham in each of his first two seasons with the Adams Park side – scoring 15 tries in 34 appearances during the 2003–04 campaign, where they also won the Heineken Cup in one season. for the ages.
The following year, he scored a try in the Premiership final as Leicester Tigers were dispatched to Wasps’ third successive title.
Since retiring from the sport, Mr Voyce has become a trader in the town from Northumberland where he had settled with his wife and children.
Where was he last seen?
Police received a report on Sunday morning that Mr Voyce had not returned home after a night out with friends.
It emerged he had gone missing while crossing the River Aln, just four miles from Alnwick, a small town where his farming business is based.
His Toyota Hilux 4×4 was recovered about 15 meters downstream from where he was trying to cross the river.
There is a footbridge next to the single lane road with a fording warning sign a few meters before the river.
What is the latest news in the search for Tom Voyce?
Police, family and friends gathered at first light on Wednesday to walk 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, officers made their way along the river below the ford while drones were sent to cover the rural area.
Coastguard officers joined the search aboard a dinghy, accompanied by a trained dog.
On Thursday, a body was discovered 500 meters downstream from the level crossing, near Abberwick Mill.
The force said formal identification had not yet taken place, but Mr Voyce’s next of kin had been informed and were being supported by specialist officers.
Why did he live in Northumberland?
After leaving his city job at Investec bank, he sought business closer to his home in Northumberland.
Returning to his agricultural roots, he established Trevow Vegetation Management, reducing invasive species in the beauty of the surrounding hills surrounding his home.
Well known to locals, Mr Voyce was considered a passionate innovator: he purchased his first remote-controlled “flail robot” to fell hedges in 2020.
Its activity has since evolved with a growing fleet of specialized machines.
He told the agricultural magazine Professional: “It took time to convince people.
“For a private estate or landowner, I look expensive initially, but I can complete the job about 75% faster than someone doing the work manually with a brush cutter or chainsaw.”
What were the weather conditions like when he disappeared?
A water level gauge at the ford showed the river was still about a foot deep on Wednesday morning, but it was believed to have been much higher at the weekend when Storm Darragh hit the UK.
In Northumberland, gusts of 58mph were recorded along the coast with more than 48mm of rain measured at Redesdale camp on Saturday when Mr Voyce was last seen.
The council warned on Sunday: “Although the worst of the storm has now passed, very strong winds persist, with difficult driving conditions and residents are advised not to travel unless necessary.”
The Environment Agency has issued a number of flood warnings and alerts, with council road crews called to the three flood alert sites to provide sandbags if necessary.
The narrow country road which runs between the village of Bolton and the town of Alnwick plunges into the River Aln and is regularly used by farmers in the area.
There is a weight limit on the road and a danger sign warning of an approaching ford, but it was not on a list of closed roads at the time of Mr Voyce’s disappearance.
Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service said it handled a number of calls regarding fallen trees, power outages and surface flooding affecting roads over the weekend.
They added that no reports had been received of flooding in homes.
River levels were particularly high this weekend, with a gauge showing water levels barely visible during Storm Darragh, residents said.
A neighbor said The Independent: “The river is two fields below our house, under normal circumstances you can’t see it as the water is well below the height of the bank.
“It crosses a deep cut for some distance in both directions. If you can see water from here, I won’t take that route.
“Saturday evening, the weather was quite extreme with the storm, the rain had been falling hard since Friday with violent winds.
“A little further from the ford there is a bridge over the river, but we knew that the river had overflowed and that this road would also be impassable.”
What do Tom Voyce’s family and former teammates say?
The Voyce family, including his wife Anna, requested privacy following the discovery of a body.
A bouquet of roses was placed on the banks of the river in a nod to the winger’s illustrious international career.
His presumed death has deeply shaken the rugby community.
England World Cup-winning scrum-half Matt Dawson, who played alongside Mr Voyce at Wasps between 2004 and 2006, posted a photo of Mr Voyce on Instagram with the caption: “One of wonderful humans in life… I can’t express my sadness, can I? now… All the Dawsons send their love and strength to Anna and the whole family.
England Rugby said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Tom Voyce’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time. »
Gloucester Rugby also posted on
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Tom’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.”
The British and Irish Lions posted: “The British and Irish Lions send our most sincere thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Tom Voyce during this deeply distressing time. »
And Premiership Rugby added: “Everyone at Premiership Rugby is devastated by the news regarding Tom Voyce.
“We send our thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.”
Bath Rugby posted on X saying: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Tom Voyce’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. »
