Police fear man who went missing in Amble was swept out to sea

Charles Yarwood, who is known as Mike to family and friends, was last seen in the Amble area on the night of Friday, November 21.

Extensive enquiries have been ongoing since then to locate the 78-year-old, and CCTV footage led officers to locate a new image of Mike, who was pictured passing the Wynd towards Beal Bank at around 11.30pm that night.

At this time, it is suspected that Mike entered the water near one of the piers in Amble and has been swept further out into the North Sea.

His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by officers at this difficult time.

Detective Inspector Calum Meikle from Northumbria Police said: “This is an extremely tragic incident, and our thoughts are very much with Mike’s loved ones at this time.

“Our officers continue to support his family and we would ask that their privacy is respected.

“Extensive enquiries have been ongoing since concerns were raised for Mike, including deploying specialist teams to search for him.”

A range of resources has been used in the search for Mike, including officers from the Force’s Marine Unit, the National Police Air Service, the Dog Section and Drone Unit.

Volunteers from the HM Coastguard and Mountain Rescue, RNLI and the Civil Air Service also searched alongside our officers and Mike’s family and friends.

Detective Inspector Meikle added: “I’d like to thank our colleagues from the HM Coastguard, Mountain Rescue, RNLI and Civil Air Service for their support.

“I’d also like to thank our officers for their efforts as part of the investigation, who have continued to carry out enquiries and search during very challenging conditions.

“The support of our partners and the wider community does not go unnoticed.

“I’d also like to thank the public for sharing our appeals – your support is greatly appreciated.”