Tragedy after grandad, 85, 'took a wrong turn' and never came home

The devastated relatives of an 85-year-old grandad are mourning his loss after he was found dead ten days after disappearing.

The family of George Fewtrell, from Wirral, Merseyside, believes he "took a wrong turn and couldn't find his way home". George vanished on Tuesday, June 25, and was believed to be heading on foot towards Flintshire in north-east Wales. He was last spotted on CCTV on Greenfield Street at the junction with New Road in Merseyside at 12.42am on Wednesday, June 26.

A widespread police search ensued, with authorities urging locals to check their sheds and outbuildings for any sign of him. The search efforts included the use of police drones, dogs, and specialist officers. But in a heartbreaking discovery made ten days later, police found a body which was confirmed to be that of George, Liverpool Echo reports.

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His grandson, Jacob Ross, aged 30, reminisced about how his grandad enjoyed regular walks. Jacob said: "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."

Jacob also expressed gratitude towards the community's support during the difficult time: "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."

The heartbroken grandson opened up about the shock of his grandad's sudden disappearance, saying: "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."

In honour of his grandad, who astonishingly managed a 30-mile walk at 85, Jacob, a healthcare worker, will run a marathon to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation. "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 heartbreak, Jacob feels the community response reflects the spirit of his hometown, Neston. "Everybody knows everybody in Neston. When something happens like that, everyone comes out to support. He was well known and well liked."