Devon and Cornwall Police via Brixham coastguards tasked Exmouth RNLI at 8.42am on Wednesday 18 July to assist in searching the river Exe.

The in-shore lifeboat, George Bearman was launched at 9am following the recovery of a casualty by the police and ambulance services by the Halsdon Farm area. Volunteer RNLI crew carried out a thorough shoreline search to ascertain whether the casualty had fallen off a boat in the estuary.

The volunteers returned at 11.20am with no further sightings. Please refer all media enquiries to Devon and Cornwall Police Press Office.