A body has been recovered from a river near where missing sisters Henrietta and Eliza Huszti were last seen in Aberdeen.
The siblings, both 32 and part of a set of triplets, were reported missing by their landlady after telling her they planned to end their tenancy.
The pair – who are originally from Hungary – are described as white women of slim build with long brown hair and were last seen on a bridge over the River Dee on 7 January.
Extensive searches were carried out and officers said on Friday that a body has been recovered from the water.
Police Scotland said it had been made aware that a body had been seen in the River Dee, near Queen Elizabeth Bridge, shortly before 8am on Friday.
A spokesperson for the force said: “We were made aware of the body of a person seen in the River Dee near Queen Elizabeth Bridge in Aberdeen around 7.55am on Friday, 31 January, 2025.
“The body has been recovered from the water and enquiries are ongoing.”
A police helicopter, dog branch and marine unit were among the specialist resources involved in rescue efforts focusing on the river and its surrounding area, but this search was ended on Monday.
Their brother Joszef Huszti told the BBC that relatives do not understand their disappearance, adding the sisters’ mother had a phone call with them just days beforehand when everything appeared normal.
When did sisters go missing and what are final sightings?
Eliza and Henrietta were last spotted on CCTV in Market Street at Victoria Bridge at around 2.12am on Tuesday 7 January. They were then seen crossing the bridge and turning right onto a footpath next to the River Dee, heading in the direction of the Aberdeen Boat Club.
The area was covered in snow and ice when the sisters disappeared, following a bitter cold snap across the country.
Police said there is nothing to suggest either of the women left the immediate area after 2.12am on 7 January.
Investigations into the sisters’ disappearance have now confirmed both women, who were wearing rucksacks, were seen at the same bridge at around 2.50pm on Monday 6 January.
CCTV shows the sisters spent five minutes at the footpath and Victoria Bridge but did not engage with anyone else.
The siblings are then seen making their way through the city centre, via the Union Square shopping centre, back to their flat in the Charlotte Street area of Aberdeen.
Police said there is nothing to indicate they left it again until shortly before they were last seen at the River Dee.
What have the police said?
Extensive searches were carried out on Friday and Police Scotland said a body was recovered from the water.
Police Scotland said it had been made aware that a body had been seen in the River Dee, near Queen Elizabeth Bridge, shortly before 8am on Friday.
Last week, Police Scotland said there is still nothing to suggest criminality or suspicious circumstances when it comes to the sisters’ disappearance.
As several hours of CCTV footage are being examined by officers, superintendent David Howieson said: “I would again urge anyone with any information which could help find Eliza and Henrietta to get in touch.
“We remain in regular contact with Eliza and Henrietta’s family in Hungary and we will continue to provide them with support at this very difficult time.
“Searches will continue in the coming days and our officers will continue to do everything they can to find Eliza and Henrietta.”
It emerged that a text message was sent from Henrietta’s mobile phone to the sisters’ landlady at 2.12am on 7 January, from the area of Victoria Bridge, indicating they would not be returning to the flat.
The phone was then disconnected from the network and has not been active since, police said.
The following day, the sisters’ personal belongings were found inside the flat and the landlady reported her concerns to police.
Mr Howieson previously said: “We remain extremely concerned for Eliza and Henrietta as our searches enter a second week.”
He said police were “trying to remain open-minded in terms of what the wider circumstances may have been”, as the behaviour of the duo was considered to be “very out of character”, with no known mental health concerns that might offer an explanation.
He did acknowledge the sisters “may have come to harm”, adding: “That has to be a theory in terms of access to the river ... but what we don’t have is any indication that a third party has been involved.”
What have the family said?
The reportedly “close-knit” family released a statement through Police Scotland, where they said: “This has been a very worrying and upsetting time for our family.”
In the desperate plea, the family said: “All we want is for them to be found.
“If you think you might have any information which could help the police with finding Eliza and Henrietta then please pass this on as quickly as you can.
“We appreciate all the support our family has been given over the past few days and we would like our privacy to be respected at this time.”
Speaking from his home in Budapest, their brother Mr Huszti told the BBC: “We don't understand this whole thing. That they wrote a message to their landlady, that they wanted to immediately end their tenancy agreement. We didn’t have any information about that. So that’s the strange thing, that the girls didn’t tell us anything about that. They never mentioned any such plan.”
He previously told the broadcaster that their mother had spoken to the sisters on Saturday 4 January when everything seemed “fine”.
He also warned on social media: “I ask everyone to respect each other. No one should spread any fake news.”
He added on behalf of the family: “Thank you all for being with us at this difficult time.”
The third sister in the set of triplets, Edit Huszti, confirmed she had spoken to the pair on New Year’s Eve, describing them as happy and cheerful on a video call.
