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Missing Dylan: Police Find A Child's Body

Missing Dylan: Police Find A Child's Body

The body of a four-year-old boy who went missing after slipping off a jetty while on a family holiday has been found at sea.

Police say the body of Dylan Cecil was found by a memberof the public near a yacht club - around 500 yards from where he fell into the water in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, on Sunday.

Avon and Somerset Police added that Dylan's parents, Rachel McCollum and Darren Cecil, who have remained in Burnham-on-Sea since the incident, had been made aware of the development.

Speaking next to the yacht club, Superintendent Keith McCoubrey, of Avon and Somerset Police, said that, while formal identification has not yet taken place, he strongly believed the body to be that of Dylan.

"Although there has been no formal identification as yet, I do strongly believe that to be the body of Dylan Cecil, the little four-year-old boy who was tragically lost here on Sunday," he said.

"Dylan's parents have been informed and they have asked me to pass on their sincere gratitude to all members of the local community for their sympathies since Sunday night.

"In particular they would like to pass on their thanks to all members of all the search and rescue teams that have been involved in the search for Dylan since Sunday.

"I'm sure you will understand that his parents are still extremely upset by what has gone on but they are very grateful to have Dylan's body returned to them today."

The youngster, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, was visiting his grandparents in the area with his parents and two sisters, aged one and three.

His grandparents, David and Jackie McCollum, visited the place where his body was found and quietly placed a rose on the ground.

They remained at the scene for a few minutes before walking away without comment.

Dylan's parents frantically tried to rescue him when he stumbled off the jetty, but were unable to reach him and had to be pulled from the water by passers by.

A large search and rescue operation was launched involving four coastguard teams, four lifeboats, the police and an RAF helicopter.

But the hunt was formally called off at 2.30pm on Monday.

Volunteers continued to look for him, with the UK underwater rescue organisation SARbot using specialist sonar equipment to scour the water for Dylan's body on Wednesday.

Dylan's mother described earlier this week how her son had fallen into a "whirlpool" and said she knew immediately she would not see him again.

A police spokesman said: "Officers searching for the body of a four-year-old boy who fell into the water at Burnham-on-Sea can confirm that the body of a young boy has been found near to the yacht club in Burnham-on-Sea .

"The body was discovered at about 12.30pm. Formal identification still has to be carried out."

The water off Burnham-on-Sea has one of the highest tidal rise and fall ranges in the world and the shoreline is notorious for its dangerous mudflats.

The local authority, Sedgemoor District Council , said it was satisfied all its procedures were followed correctly and that there were many warning signs along the beach, esplanade and on the jetty hut.

But it said it was also carrying out an internal review "to establish all the relevant information".