Police divers have found a body in the search for Rachel Booth two days after the mother-of-three was reported missing.
An urgent search was launched over the weekend for Ms Booth, when she vanished after visiting a petrol station at 3.50am in the morning, after being seen in her running gear buying milk and wine.
The discovery was made today in a lake which officers had been searching over the weekend.
Cheshire Constabulary, which has been conducting the searches for the 38-year-old, said her family have been informed.
In a statement, the force said: ‘Police searching for a missing woman have sadly found a body.
‘Rachel Booth was reported missing by her family. Officers have been searching tirelessly for the 38-year-old since her disappearance.
‘Following extensive appeals and searches in the area, officers have now sadly recovered a body in a lake in Oakmere.
‘Whilst formal identification is yet to take place, it is believed to be that of Rachel. Her family have been made aware and are being supported by specialist officers. They have requested privacy at this time.
‘There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances and a file will be prepared for the coroner.’
Ms Booth, who is married with three sons, disappeared in the middle of the night.
She was last seen in the early hours of Saturday morning at a garage seven miles from her home, in the village of Barnton, near Northwich, Cheshire.
CCTV captured Ms Booth in the 24-hour Waitrose shop of the Shell petrol station, in Sandiway, on the main A556, at 3.50am on Saturday.
She was dressed in black leggings, a black vest top and trainers, but it is unclear whether she had driven or run to the garage.
Later that day, officers from Cheshire Constabulary closed off the Wild Shore Delamere water sports centre, which is used for open water swimming, paddleboarding and wakeboarding and is around 1.7miles further along the main road towards Chester. Several police cars and fire engines were also seen in attendance.
Yesterday police confirmed specialist divers were on the site searching the lake, which is next to a collection of holiday lodges at Delamere Lake Sailing and Holiday Park. The lake is likely to be shut until at least Wednesday.
Superintendent Paul Hughes, who had been leading the inquiry, appealed directly to Ms Booth to contact them or for anyone who may have seen her to get in touch.
‘We are currently following a number of enquiries to trace Rachel and we are becoming increasingly concerned for her welfare,’ he said.
‘As part of our investigation, our officers and partner agencies, including the Underwater Search Team and Cheshire Search and Rescue, are conducting enquiries in the Oakmere and surrounding areas, where it is believed Rachel travelled to, and we would like to thank local businesses for their patience and understanding while these are currently ongoing.
‘Investigators are following all lines of enquiry and anyone who has seen Rachel since she was reported missing is asked to contact us. The same goes for anyone who has any information on her whereabouts.
‘We would also like to appeal directly to Rachel to get in touch to let us know you are okay.’
Yesterday Ms Booth’s mother, Chrissie Widdowson, 59, shared the police’s appeal to find her daughter on Facebook. She was too upset to comment last night.
According to social media, Ms Booth, who has sons aged 13, 10 and six, married her husband Carl, 47, in November 2022.
A source told the Mail a close family member reported her missing and there was evidence to suggest she had travelled to Wild Shore, where the main police activity was focused.
A member of staff at the petrol station also claimed yesterday she bought milk and a bottle of wine from one of his colleagues, who told him she had jogged to the petrol station and didn’t seem ‘disturbed or flustered’.
One man, who ‘grew up around the corner’ from Ms Booth posted on Facebook that ‘she is honestly one of the nicest people you could meet.’
Another said she had ‘three gorgeous boys’ and a ‘loving husband.’
In a statement posted online, bosses at Wild Shore said: ‘Due to police investigations which are continuing in the surrounding area, Wild Shore Delamere will remain closed for Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd July.
‘We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
‘The incident is unrelated to Wild Shore – however, we wish to help as much as possible – so we will be closing the site until further notice. If your booking is affected by this closure, please contact our customer services team.
‘We’ll be happy to arrange a refund or reschedule your session for a later date. Thank you for your understanding.’
Following police’s release of CCTV showing Ms Booth’s final sighting two new witnesses came forward on Saturday to say they may have spotted the 38-year-old hitchhiking in a yellow coat.
The pair claimed they saw the missing woman ‘between 12.30 and 1.15’ walking towards Crewe as they passed in their car.
One of the pair said on Facebook: ‘I did think what she was doing walking along them roads (sic).
‘We even looked for a broken down car incase that was a factor.’
The other added: ‘Yeah it seemed quite a random part of the road to be thumbing a lift I wondered about a broken down car too, but didn’t spot one anywhere.’
Following the reports, Ms Booth’s mother Chrissie Widdowson shared a post this morning to confirm there had been ‘possible sightings by two people in cars, believed to have seen Rachel hitchhiking (walking – wearing a yellow coat walking in Minshull towards Crewe’.
Ms Booth was seen wearing black leggings, a black vest and trainers at the time she vanished, with a phone visible on her outer thigh, suggesting she was out on a run.
Specially trained search and rescue teams had scoured Delamere Lake Sailing & Holiday Park and Wild Shore water sports centre, Cheshire – around a mile and a half from her last known sighting – in a frantic bid to find the 38-year-old before confirming they had found a body today.