The body of a teenage kayaker who went missing after capsizing in the North Sea has been found weeks after he vanished. Michael Henry, 19, was paddling in the sea near Boulmer, Northumberland on July 7. He capsized and vanished underwater but his friend managed to survive by clinging to a buoy.
Body discovered off Blyth coast
Northumbria Police has now said the body of Henry, from the Rothbury area, was located off the coast of Blyth more than two weeks later on 26 July. Formal identification has since taken place and a report had been prepared for the coroner.
The search for the teenager was previously called off on 15 July. In a tribute at the time, his family said he was a ‘keen sportsman who loved the outdoors’ and was hoping to start university in the next academic year.
Family tribute
‘We would like to thank everyone for all their love, kindness and support now and throughout Michael’s life; it was that love and kindness that made him the marvellous person he was,’ his family said.
The incident has prompted renewed calls for water safety awareness among young people, with local authorities urging kayakers to wear life jackets and check weather conditions before heading out.
