Tributes have been paid to a "forever loved" 22-year-old soldier after a body was recovered from the River Tyne. Liam Potts was reported missing on Saturday, August 15, following a night out with friends.
Search and recovery
His family and friends joined an extensive search for Liam alongside Northumbria Police, the HM Coastguard, North of Tyne Mountain and Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue teams. But on Tuesday evening, August 18, officers confirmed the sad news that a body had been found in the River Tyne close to Wylam Bridge.
Formal identification is still to take place, but Liam's loved ones have now shared an image and paid tribute to Liam, who was "the heart and soul of any room" who could never be forgotten once you met him. They added that their love for Liam "will never fade".
Family tribute
They said: "To our Liam. You may no longer be here beside us, but your presence will never be forgotten. Your family, friends and colleagues have all said the same thing, 'once you met Pottsy, you could never forget him.' You really were the heart and soul of any room."
"We are going to miss your smile, your laugh, and the little things that made you who you are. Though time may pass, the love we have for you will never fade."
"You will always be remembered, and forever loved. Rest peacefully, knowing that your memory lives on in all those whose lives you touched."
They added: "Now to everyone who reached out with kind messages, calls, visits, flowers and thoughtful gestures; please know how deeply grateful we are. Your love and support brings us comfort when we need it most; it really has been extremely overwhelming the amount of support we have been receiving, it’s clear to see how loved Liam was."
Investigation and appeal
"Thank you to everyone who tirelessly supported in the search for Liam including all the members of the public. As you will have hopefully already seen, a GoFund Me page has been created to donate to all the amazing volunteers of the Mountain Rescue Teams."
"However, beyond this, we would like to extend our appreciation to Northumbria Police, particularly the diving team that were able to successfully bring our boy home."
Northumbria Police's Major Investigation Team (MIT) are now leading the investigation into Liam's death and disappearance and have today re-arrested two men, aged 22 and 23, on suspicion of manslaughter. They are currently in police custody.
Anyone with information which could help should send Northumbria Police a direct message on social media or use the live chat and report forms on the Force’s website. For those unable to make contact via the above ways, call 101. Please quote reference number: NP-20260814-0016.
