Tragedy as police find body in hunt for missing nuclear sub sailor, 21
A SAILOR from one of the UK’s top secret nuclear submarines is feared dead after a body was found during a search for him.
Josh Gayton was last seen on CCTV in the early hours of Tuesday after a night out, wearing only a T-shirt and trousers.
He was reported missing later that day when he failed to turn up for duty at Faslane naval base.
The 21-year-old, from Worcestershire, is thought to have been unfamiliar with the area of Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, where he was last seen.
Last night, Police Scotland issued an update on the search for him, stating that the body of a man had been recovered.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘Around 6.20pm on Sunday, police received a report the body of a man had been found in water off Helensburgh.
‘Formal identification has still to take place, however, the family of Joshua Gayton, last seen in Helensburgh on Tuesday, April 16, has been notified.’ A post-mortem examination is due to be carried out but police confirmed the death is not being treated as suspicious.
Yesterday, it emerged Mr Gayton had been questioned by police less than an hour before he mysteriously disappeared.
Police Scotland confirmed officers spoke to Mr Gayton shortly before the last sighting of him.
A spokesman had said: ‘At 12.05am on Tuesday, April 16, in West Clyde Street, Helensburgh, a 21-year-old man was issued with a fixed penalty notice in connection with a public urination offence.’
Following his disappearance, Mr Gayton’s shipmates launched their own search in an attempt to locate him, while loved ones made appeals online, sharing descriptions and images of the young submariner.
A serving military officer, who asked not to be named, had questioned why the force had not contacted military police. He told the Mail on Sunday: ‘The Royal Navy Police patrol Helensburgh all the time and they should have been contacted by Police Scotland when they were dealing with Josh. They have a duty of care to people.
‘Instead his comrades are wondering why they let him walk off into the night, inebriated, underdressed and not knowing where he was, knowing he was a serving member of the Royal Navy.’
Last night, the Navy said it was liasing with Police Scotland following the discovery of the body.