Police searching for two people missing after a boat capsized on a lake in south Devon have recovered two bodies.
Devon and Cornwall police said the families have been informed of the development and are being supported by specially trained officers. Formal identification has yet to take place. Earlier, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said on its website that the two people who were unaccounted for were disabled.
Emergency services and rescue teams managed to rescue four people after the incident on Wednesday afternoon in Roadford Lake, Okehampton.
Two people were safely recovered from the water and were discharged by paramedics at the scene. Two other people were removed from the water and were taken to Derriford hospital in Plymouth for treatment. One has been discharged but the other remains in hospital in a critical condition. No other boats were involved in the incident.
Ch Supt Dan Evans of Devon and Cornwall police said: “This is an extremely distressing incident and our thoughts are with all of those involved and their loved ones, who we are working closely with to offer help and support wherever we can.
“Every effort has been made to locate the two people who remained unaccounted for as fast as possible. Tragically, we can confirm that the bodies of two people were located and recovered this afternoon. Our priority is to support their families.”
Multiple agencies were deployed including police, fire, ambulance, the air ambulance, coastguard and search-and-rescue teams with specialist equipment and drones.
Devon and Somerset fire and rescue tweeted their condolences on Thursday evening: “Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by this tragedy, particularly the victims and their families. This has been a difficult incident for all involved, including our crews and other emergency services who rushed to the scene to try and rescue people from the water.”
Police have said those travelling in the group were all adults and believed to be all local to Devon.
MAIB wrote earlier on Twitter that it had started its investigation into “the capsize of a motor vessel yesterday on Roadford Lake in Devon”.
The 730-acre lake, which has been a reservoir since 1989, is often used by people for kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding and sailing.
