Search for teenager lost in River Tay continues

THE search for a missing teenage boy from Poland, feared to have been swept to his death while trying to cross the swollen River Tay, will resume this afternoon.

Mateusz Wilamowski, 16, from Poland, who was swept away in the River Tay, Perth. Picture: PA

Specialist search teams will be deployed along the river on the outskirts of Perth to coincide with the high tide on the Tay between 3.30pm and 4pm as the search for 16 year-old Mateusz Wilamowski enters its third day.

Mateusz, a Polish national who has been staying with relatives in Perth since arriving in Scotland from Poland in May, disappeared from view as he and two friends had been wading across the river on Sunday night when the teenager appeared to loose his footing and was swept away in the strong current.

He was last seen near an area known as Woody Islands, a narrow spit of land in the Tay midway between the Scone side of the river and the opposite bank on the North Muirton area of Perth shortly before 7.30pm on Sunday night.

A spokesman for the Tayside Division of Police Scotland said: “Police Scotland will resume its search of the River Tay at Perth for missing 16-year-old Mateusz Wilamowski this afternoon.

“Intensive searches have been undertaken since it was reported that the teenager got into difficulty and disappeared from view while crossing the river, near to Woody Islands, North Muirton on Sunday evening.

“The search has involved Tayside Division officers, including the Police Scotland (Tayside) Mountain Rescue Team, along with trained police divers from the national Underwater Search Unit. They have been joined by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the civilian Tayside Mountain Rescue Team. Search dogs have also been deployed as part of the efforts to trace Mateusz.”

He continued: “Searches of the riverbanks, islands and the river itself will now be focused around high tides, when searching is most effective. Officers will be deployed this afternoon in time for high tide around 3.30pm to 4pm.

“Once again, the Police Scotland (Tayside) Mountain Rescue Team will be joined by underwater search specialists and the river search will be carried out by boat and river raft.”

The spokesman added: “ Mateusz’s family, both here and in Poland, are being kept fully informed of any developments.”