Police and rescue services searched overnight for Jeremy Stent, 46, after he was reported missing on Friday, August 24 having being seen earlier in the evening in Tutshill.
Gloucestershire Police say the body found near Brockweir last Thursday afternoon (August 30) is believed to be Mr Stent, although formal identification is still to take place.
However, the Severn Area Rescue Association based at Beachley posted last Friday (August 31): “Our rescue boat and SRT teams were called out late yesterday morning, to support the police and coastguard in an operation at Brockweir.
“This operation brought the search for Jeremy Stent to its sad conclusion. The thoughts of all our team are with the man’s family at this difficult time.”
The initial search operation involving SARA crews, Gloucestershire Police and Chepstow Coastguard was launched shortly before midnight on the day he was reported missing.
Police at the time said he was “considered to be in a vulnerable state of mind.”
SARA also said three lifeboats carried out searches last week at the request of the police and coastguard before the body was recovered.
Mr Stent, who had previously lived and worked in the United States, was last seen in Wyebank Road wearing blue jeans, a rust-coloured T-shirt and a blue cardigan heading towards Beachley Road shortly before 9.30pm on August 24.
A post by SARA’s Beachley station on Saturday, August 25, said they had spent “a long night” searching for the missing man with assistance from Newport and Tewkesbury Stations which continued the following morning.
“The SARA Beachley lifeboat, land search and rope rescue teams were all called out just before midnight last night, to support Gloucestershire Constabulary and Chepstow Coastguard searching for a missing person in the Chepstow area,” said a spokesman.
“SARA Lifeboat 3 conducted a search of the lower River Wye, while the land team was joined by colleagues from SARA Tewkesbury and Newport stations, and conducted a series of searches before being stood down at 4.30am.?“The search resumed this morning at 9am, with some of the same team members involved. SARA Lifeboat 1 was deployed and the crew searched along the Wye, going ashore several times. Again a land search team operated in parallel.”
After the recovery of the body at Brockweir, which is near the top of the tidal range of the River Wye, a police spokeswoman said: “Gloucestershire Constabulary would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the search and rescue operation. Our thoughts are with Mr Stent’s family at this time.”