DRONES and sniffer dogs are scouring a river for England rugby star Tom Voyce, who is feared to have been swept away in Storm Darragh.
The 43-year-old is believed to have died trying to escape his car after driving into the flood-swollen River Aln on Sunday.
Specialist marine search cops are using drones, dogs and helicopters to comb the Northumberland river.
Officers were alerted after the ex-wing did not return home following an evening with friends on Saturday.
He is believed to have attempted to cross Abberwick Ford in his car, which has then been pulled along with the current of the river, police say.
The car has since been recovered, but police did not find Mr Voyce.
He is believed to have been swept away while attempting to escape and died.
Voyce’s wife Anna has thanked police, friends and the local community for their help.
England Rugby said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Tom Voyce at this extremely challenging time.”
Chief Superintendent Helena Barron, of Northumbria Police, said: “This is an extremely tragic incident, and our thoughts are very much with Tom’s loved ones at this time.
“Our officers continue to support his family and we would ask that their privacy is respected.
Voyce’s car has been recovered from the River Aln, near Alnwick, Northumberland, which he had been trying to cross using a ford.
Searchers gathered from first light on Wednesday and will scour the banks of the river from the ford between Bolton and Abberwick all the way to the sea at Alnmouth.
A water level indicator at the ford showed the river was still around one foot deep on Wednesday morning, but it would have been much higher at the weekend when Storm Darragh lashed the UK.
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “At this time, it is suspected Tom has attempted to cross Abberwick Ford in his car, which has then been pulled along with the current of the river.
“Officers have since recovered his car, but sadly Tom is yet to be found.
“It is believed in his attempts to escape he has been swept away and tragically died.”
“Extensive inquiries have been ongoing since concerns were raised for Tom, including deploying specialist teams to search for him.”/
The search has included specialist officers from Northumbria Police’s Marine Section, the National Police Air Service, drones and dog handlers.
Volunteers from the North of Tyne Mountain Rescue have also been searching alongside Mr Voyce’s family and friends.
CS Barron added: “Our searches continue but we are dealing with very challenging circumstances in trying to recover Tom.
“This is down to the conditions, including the river flow and the level being significantly heightened due to the exceptionally heavy rain we experienced over the weekend.
“Sadly, we can therefore not provide any timescales around this.
“We would like to thank our colleagues from Mountain Rescue for their continued support and all those who have helped with the searches.”
Those who have been carrying out the searches have been doing so in a co-ordinated manner and are either trained or know the local area and terrain well.
World Cup-winning England scrum-half Matt Dawson, who played alongside Voyce at Wasps between 2004 and 2006, posted a picture of Voyce on Instagram with the caption: “One of life’s wonderful humans… I can’t express my sadness right now… All the Dawsons send their love & strength to Anna and the whole family.”
England Rugby said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Tom Voyce at this extremely challenging time.”
Gloucester Rugby also posted on X, saying: “Gloucester Rugby is desperately sad to hear the distressing news regarding our former player and friend, Tom Voyce.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tom’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.”
British & Irish Lions posted: “The British & Irish Lions send our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Tom Voyce’s family and friends 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 the family and friends of Tom Voyce at this incredibly distressing time.”
Members of the public are asked not to attend the scene to conduct their own searches.
A Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) spokesperson said it was called to the scene at 2.10pm on Sunday by Northumbria Police.
A statement added: “We attended with our Swift Water Team and provided portable lighting units to assist the search.
“Our teams also secured the car to the bankside. NFRS has since been stood down by the police.
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the missing person at this incredibly difficult time.”
The former wing won nine caps for England and played for Bath, London Wasps and Gloucester during a successful career.
His six years at Wasps included winning European and domestic titles
Voyce made a total of 220 Premiership appearances before retiring in May 2013.
It comes after Storm Darragh battered the UK with 93mph winds and temperatures dropping down to -3C.
Two men were killed by falling trees, while more than 100,000 Brits were left without power.
Hundreds of flights were cancelled, while Britain’s rail network was also heavily impacted.
