Body found on uninhabited island in search for missing father Dean Tate

A body has been found on an uninhabited island in the hunt for a Somerset man last seen two months ago.

Dean Tate, 40, from Highbridge, went missing in Burnham-on-Sea in the early hours of Saturday, 24 February.

He was last seen in the TA8 Bistro on Pier Street and specialist teams searched for him on both land and in water.

A member of the public contacted police at 12.20pm on Saturday, 21 April, after finding a body on Stert Island – a low-lying uninhabited island in the Bristol Channel off Burnham-on-Sea.

The body was recovered by Avon and Somerset Police with the help of the Coastguard and Burnham Area Rescue Boat.

The body has not yet been formally identified but police said they believed it to be Mr Tate.

Detective Inspector Richard Horsfall said: “We’ve informed Dean’s partner and family of the discovery and are providing them with support.

“This is not the outcome anyone wanted and our thoughts are with them during what is clearly a difficult time.

“The search for Dean lasted several weeks and I’d like to personally thank our partners and the communities of Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge for their assistance during this time.

“While the community spirit shown has been warmly welcomed, I’d now ask Dean’s loved ones are given the privacy they need.”

In a post on the Find Dean Tate Facebook group, Mr Tate’s partner paid tribute to the “amazing father and friend”.

"Today we have had the news the Dean has been found,” she wrote. “We have been waiting for answers for so long so it's a sad day for all of us.

“My handsome, kind, funny, supportive, strong fiance can be laid to rest eventually and we can all know that we tried everything we possibly could to find him.

“He was so amazing and such an amazing father and friend and after everything he went through in life and still came out as amazing as he did he was one special man.

“I want to thank each and every person that helped with the search and the fundraising for the reward.”