A body has been discovered during an extensive search for a missing man from Rhondda, South Wales Police have confirmed.
Stephen Faulkner, aged 66, was last spotted in the Tonypandy area last weekend. South Wales Police launched a major five-day search operation, deploying specialist divers, drones, CSI dogs and helicopters in a bid to locate him.
Divers were spotted searching Glyncornel Lake on Wednesday, 27th May, following reports of a possible sighting in the area. Mr Faulkner’s heartbroken family had repeatedly appealed to the public for information as officers and volunteers worked around the clock to trace his whereabouts.
View 2 ImagesGlyncornel Lake (Image: Mirrorpix)
Scores of people joined the search for Mr Faulkner over recent days, with his family expressing on Thursday that they were overwhelmed by the “unbelievable” support they had received.
Mr Faulkner’s family had also been desperately attempting to retrace his last known movements using CCTV footage.
Police confirmed on Thursday evening that a body had been found during the search for Mr Faulkner. Formal identification has yet to take place, but his family has been notified, reports Wales Online.
A spokesperson for South Wales Police said: “A body has been located in the search for Steven Faulkner, age 66, who has been missing since May 23 from his home in Tonypandy. Steven’s family has been informed.”
It comes after 11 people have tragically drowned after getting into trouble while outdoor swimming during the heatwave this month. The Royal Life Saving Society has issued a plea for everyone to “stop and think” before getting into open water as temperatures this week soared to 35C.
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It warned warmer weather correlates to an increase in “accidental drownings” and that despite warmer air, “water temperatures remain very cold”.
Hot weather is expected to continue over the coming days, before easing over the weekend, the Met Office said.
Many areas have experienced thunderstorms, with Met spokeswoman Nicola Maxey saying they came as “very warm and unstable conditions” developed, adding: “These brought localised heavy downpours and frequent lightning. As is typical with thunderstorms, impacts varied over short distances, with some areas seeing intense rainfall while others nearby remained largely dry.”