Tragedy as body of missing Northern Irishman found in marina in England
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Tragedy as body of missing Northern Irishman found in marina in England

A CO. ANTRIM man who went missing at the weekend has been found dead in a marina to the northeast of England.

Robert Montgomery, originally from Belfast, was last seen on Sunday at around 10.35pm at the Royal Quays Marina in North Shields, near Newcastle.

The 35-year-old had left the Mariner’s Arms pub 20 minutes earlier at 10.15pm.

It is understood that Mr Montgomery’s body was pulled from the water of the marina at around 2pm on Tuesday afternoon.

His fiancée and best-friend have travelled to England to help identify him, according to Belfast Live.

Mr Montgomery, who served as a Royal Marine Commando for seven years, had most recently protected ships off the Somali coast and worked on a fishing vessel in the Irish Sea.

Friends have taken to social media to pay tribute to the Northern Irishman, who has been described as a “true gentleman”.

One post read: "My hearts breaking for everyone. True Gentleman gone too soon”.

While another said: “"Rob was a gent and will be greatly missed.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Northumbria Police said: "Police searching for missing man Robert Montgomery have found a body.

"At around 2.25pm yesterday afternoon (Tuesday November 14) police recovered a body of a man in the River Tyne near the Royal Quays Mariner in North Shields.

"Police believe it to be that of 35-year-old Robert Montgomery who went missing on Sunday, November 12. The next of kin have been informed.

"Enquiries to formally identify the body, and establish the circumstances around his death, are ongoing however there is believed to be no third party involvement.

"Police want to thank everyone who have helped with the search for missing Robert and have asked that they respect the family's privacy at this difficult time."