A BODY has been found in the search for a missing 15-year-old paddleboarder.
Police confirmed a “male youth” had been found in the water after a rescue team hunt at Lochore Meadows Country Park in Fife.
Mark FergusonThe boy, 15, was on the water at Lochore Meadows Country Park in Fife when police received a “report of concern”[/caption]
The alarm was raised over concerns for the teen who had been on the water around 5.25pm yesterday
Force chiefs closed the airspace barring planes, helicopters and drones from flying over the beauty spot after a “report of concern” for a person on 260-acre Loch Ore.
A police spokesman said: “The body of a male youth was recovered from the water.
“Formal identification has yet to take place however the family of a 15-year-old paddleboarder reported missing have been informed.
“There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”
The alarm was raised over concerns for the teen who had been on the water around 5.25pm yesterday as temperatures in the area hit 20°C.
Coastguard teams from three stations and a chopper took part in the operation, supported by cops and firefighters.
Police told how “extensive searches” had been mounted in a bid to find him.
Aircraft had been blocked from flying overhead until 9pm tomorrow, while visitors were urged to stay away and a planned gala was shifted to a nearby playpark.
Locals paid tribute to the lad online after it was revealed a body had been found.
One said: “Absolutely devastating news.
“I was really praying he would be found safe and well, thinking of his family.”
Another added: “Som so sad to hear this, it is just heartbreaking.
“Sending love to the family, I cannot begin to imagine their pain.”
And a third said: “Another one taken too soon.”
More than a million visitors use the park each year, with the loch popular for yachting and used as a training site for the University of St Andrews Boat Club.
It is also the home of the Scottish Open Water Championships.
Paddleboarding has boomed in popularity, with around 100,000 adults taking to the water annually.
They stand or kneel on specially made boards or inflatables and use an oar to move and steer using.
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