Grandad found dead 27 miles from home 'after taking a wrong turn on walk'

The family of an 85-year-old grandad are mourning his loss after he was found dead ten days following his disappearance. George Fewtrell went missing from home in Neston, on the Wirral, on Tuesday, June 25.

He was last seen on CCTV walking through Flintshire, in north Wales, in the early hours of Wednesday, June 26, over 27 miles away from his home.

A widespread police search ensued, with residents asked to check their sheds and outbuildings, while police used drones and dogs in the hunt for George. The search came to a tragic end when a body was discovered near the A55, later confirmed to be that of George, as reported by the ECHO.

Following his death, Jacob Ross, George's 30-year-old grandson, paid tribute to him, reports North Wales Live. "He was just a loving grandad. He enjoyed a pint in a pub. He was very active when he was younger. He had quite a lot of kids and grandkids," he said.

Speaking about the search for his grandad, he said: "It was very hard but I have to say the community of Neston really came together. He drank in the Malt Shovel which was his local - people from there helped out.

"The Welsh police and the community in Wales, loads of people we didn't know came out to help. The family came together. We had a full operation finding CCTV and putting a timeline together. It was very stressful."

Jacob described his grandad's disappearance as "definitely unexpected". "He'd walked all the way into Wales. It was over 30 miles. He had passed that same day but we weren't aware. We didn't find him until 10 days later.

"The fact that he'd walked that distance was incredible. He enjoyed his walks. He was out walking a lot but he never got that far. He took a wrong turn and couldn't find his way home."

Motivated by his grandfather's memory, Jacob, who works in healthcare, decided to run a marathon.

With his marathon efforts, Jacob is supporting the British Heart Foundation. Reflecting on his decision, he shared: "It was a couple of weeks after he died that I began thinking about doing a marathon. I'd thought about doing a marathon anyway.

"I turned 30 and wanted to keep active. If we can get as many donations as possible that would be great. It's my first marathon. It's nerve wracking but I am taking it seriously. I've got a personal trainer."

Despite the distress experienced during those ten days, Jacob believes it demonstrated the close-knit nature of his community: "Everybody knows everybody in Neston. When something happens like that, everyone comes out to support. He was well known and well liked."

More information about the fundraiser can be found here.