Ex-England rugby star Tom Voyce is feared to have died after his car crashed the River Alan on Sunday.
A search party had been sent out after police were told he did not return home from an evening with friends on Saturday.
North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team and Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team revealed that 22 volunteers had been out looking for Voyce near Alnwick.
It is believed that he tried to cross Abberwick Ford while driving, which was pulled into the river.
Tom Voyce’s car was recovered but he is still missing
The car has been discovered but there was no sign for Voyce.
Police say that he might have attempted to escape only to be swept away by the current of the river.
It came during a vicious night of weather from Storm Darragh in Northumbria, where flood warnings were in place while thousands were left without power.
Two men were killed in separate incidents after trees had collided with their cars while winds speeds were recored at 58mph along the Northumberland coast.
Chief Superintendent Helena Barron, of Northumbria Police, said: “This is an extremely tragic incident, and our thoughts are very much with Tom’s loved ones at this time.
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“Our officers continue to support his family and we would ask that their privacy is respected.
“Extensive inquiries have been ongoing since concerns were raised for Tom, including deploying specialist teams to search for him.”
CS Barron added: “Our searches continue but we are dealing with very challenging circumstances in trying to recover Tom.
“This is down to the conditions, including the river flow and the level being significantly heightened due to the exceptionally heavy rain we experienced over the weekend.
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Tom Voyce played for Wasps, as well as England, during his career
PA
“Sadly, we can therefore not provide any timescales around this.
“We would like to thank our colleagues from Mountain Rescue for their continued support and all those who have helped with the searches.”
Voyce played nine times for England during his career, having also played for Bath, Wasps and Gloucester at club level.
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Tom Voyce played nine times for England in a successful career
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He comes from a rugby family and his great uncle, Anthony Thomas Voyce, played 27 times for England during the 1920s.
The Truro-born player married Anna Wood in September 2015 and recently met up with his old Wasps team-mates.
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