Chepstow river rescue man feared dead (From South Wales Argus)

Chepstow river rescue man feared dead

7:33pm Wednesday 13th February 2013 in News By Melissa Jones

RESCUERS believe a man who fell into the River Wye yesterday is dead.

The man, named locally as Gareth Mutlow, fell from the Wye bridge on Tuesday afternoon.

Gwent Police tonight said that following consultation with experts and owing to the weather conditions and the passage of time, it is believed that the man who fell into the water is deceased and the active search of the water is now complete.

An extensive multi agency search of the water has been conducted and the death of the man is not being treated as suspicious.

Air, land and water teams were deployed to search, with Severn Area Rescue Association crews spent the daylight hours looking for signs of life in the muddy river, accompanied by the Avon and Somerset Police helicopter, Chepstow Coastguard and Gwent Police officers.

A Chepstow man told the Argus today how he frantically called the Coastguard after he saw the man fall into the water.

The resident, who does not want to be named, was on the river bank at around 2.30pm when he heard an "almighty splash" and a man calling out.