The exhausted mother of a missing 14-year-old boy has collapsed during a desperate search for her son, who has not been seen for 12 days. Zoe Harvey sustained cuts to her face, hands, and arms while forcing her way through reeds along the River Taw in Barnstaple, North Devon, in an attempt to locate Taylor Charlton.
Taylor was last seen in the car park of Tesco Extra in Barnstaple on 8 May. Devon and Cornwall Police have reviewed CCTV footage showing him walking towards the River Taw, leading them to focus their search on the river and estuary areas. Specialist search teams, drones, and a police helicopter have been deployed, joined by community volunteers who have rallied to help. Posters and t-shirts have been printed to spread the word about Taylor's disappearance.
A now-deleted photo posted on Facebook on Tuesday night showed Ms Harvey lying unconscious on the ground, covered in mud. A friend who posted the image wrote: "This is a picture of Taylor's mum. I have watched her go through the emotions but the other night she got 'mama bear angry', she decided she was going to come Bear Grylls, picked up a stick and started hitting reeds with it till she sank in sewage and was stuck. She had to be pulled out and thankfully saved. Barely eating, sleeping or functioning, but this is a mother's love trying to find her baby boy. She needs him home."
Ms Harvey, when contacted by The Independent, declined to comment further but gave permission for the photo to be used. On a social media group called 'Find Taylor Charlton', people shared gathering points for search parties on Wednesday morning.
A friend named Charlie told Devon Live: "As a community we have all pulled together and we have quite strongly said we will not stop looking for Taylor."
Police have reviewed a significant amount of CCTV, conducted house-to-house enquiries, and followed up on witness reports. Shoes believed to belong to Taylor were found on the riverbank, 480 metres apart. Sector Inspector Andy Wills said all avenues of enquiry remain open and urged the public to keep themselves safe while searching. Taylor is described as about 5ft 8ins tall, of muscular build, with dark brown hair and a moustache. He was last seen wearing a bright blue fitted top, jeans, and bright blue Nike shoes. Anyone with information is asked to call 999, quoting reference number 50260117084.
