Tributes have been paid to a ‘much-loved’ grandfather whose body was washed up during Storm Darragh — three months after he vanished off the coast of Cornwall.
Andrew McKnight, 76, went missing while diving near St Anthony Head near Falmouth on September 22.
Police were contacted by Falmouth Coastguard and a large-scale search operation was carried out over a number of days, but later called off.
Now, Devon and Cornwall Police has confirmed Mr McKnight’s body was found on Portholland Beach on December 8, around nine miles from his last known location.
Mr McKnight was an experienced diver and diving instructor, his family said, and his death has come as a ‘great shock’ to everyone who knew him.
Paying tribute to Mr McKnight, his family added: ‘He was a much-loved husband, father and grandfather and he will deeply missed by all his family.
‘We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the south-west diving community, Devon & Cornwall Police, the RNLI, the Coastguard and all others who gave their time to search for him for the past 11 weeks.
‘As a family we ask for privacy at this difficult time as we come to terms with our loss.’
Police officers were called to the beach at Worth Mattravers near Swanage after 11am on Sunday after the body of a man was spotted.
Dorset Police said at the time: ‘Officers are investigating the identity of the man and the circumstances surrounding his death, which is currently being treated as unexplained.
‘We received a report at 11.37am today that a body had been found on the beach in the Chapman’s Pool area of Worth Matravers, Swanage.
‘Officers responded alongside HM Coastguard and the ambulance service with a cordon put in place to allow emergency services to respond to the incident.
‘The death is being treated as unexplained and the body has been recovered.
‘Inquiries will now take place on behalf of the Dorset coroner to establish the identity of the man and the circumstances surrounding his death.’
The man’s body was found in the wake of Storm Darragh, which hit the area for more than 24 hours last weekend.
Around 200,000 homes were left without power as gale-force winds damaged buildings, topple trees and tear down power lines.
In England, 15,000 remained without power early Sunday, and 58,000 properties were without power in Wales.
Two men were killed by falling trees hitting their vehicles. A man in his 40s died after a tree fell onto his car in Lancashire, who was later named as Paul Fiddler, a member of the coaching staff at non-league Lytham Town FC.
Tragically another man – a cab driver – was killed when a tree fell and hit his car in Erdington in the West Midlands in the hours that follows. The car’s horn sounded continuously as police battled to rescue the gravely injured man from the vehicle.