The heartbroken mum of tragic Jamie Grant has paid tribute to her son as she thanked all those who tried to help bring him home safe.
The 27-year-old was reported missing after he vanished from his home on February 8.
Northumbria Police launched a search operation as friends and family trawled the streets and countryside close to where he lived, in Whickham Gateshead, in a desperate bid to find him.
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But Jamie's loved ones' worst fears became a reality on Friday when his body was found near the River Derwent.
Police are still investigating how Jamie died. His devastated mum, Andrea, has told of her heartbreaking loss and her gratitude to all those who helped look for her beloved boy.
The 47-year-old said: "I was just hoping that we would find him. We were still hoping right up until when his body was found. I just hung onto the hope."
And paying tribute to her son, Andrea added: "He was happy, he was a kind lad. he just loved being round his family."
Jamie was the eldest of five children and was an outgoing lad while growing up. But he began suffering from mental health problems in his early 20s and was later diagnosed with schizophrenia.
"He was a funny outgoing person," said Andrea. "He liked to play football with the lads. he loved the X-box. He was just a typical lad. It wasn't until he got into his 20s that he found out he had mental health problems.
"At first we didn't know what was going on. He was paranoid and hearing voices. From the age of 19 we felt there was something wrong, he just wasn't well at all."
With the right medication and support from his loving family and social workers Jamie was able to live independently at his home in Whickham.
But he saw his mum everyday, and had been planning to move into her home, in Beacon Lough, in the months before he went missing.
"He would have good days and bad days," said Andrea. "I would see him every day. He was always wanting his mam. We were very close.
Andrea last saw Jamie on the evening before he vanished when he came over for tea.
His mum took him home and it was agreed she would return the next day with some shopping for him.
Andrea knew instantly that something was wrong when she arrived at Jamie's flat to discover he was not there.
"His keys were just left on his bench," she said. "I was feeling sick and just feeling something was not right so I rang the police there and then."
Andrea then set about looking for Jamie herself. And tragically she passed close to the spot where Jamie's body was found as she searched.
"I went looking for him with my friends," she said. "We got in the car and went all over. We went all over the town and all over Whickham. We had even been where he was found. Everyone helped to search for him."
Despite her frantic worry Andrea held onto the hope that she would find her son.
Two years ago Jamie was missing from home but was alter discovered to be staying with a friend.
So Andrea prayed the outcome would be the same this time.
But tragically Jamie's body was found by a member of the public who was walking his dog along the River Derwent, on Friday.
"The police rang us up on Friday morning and says there's been a body found, but they said 'I don't want you to worry, it may not be your son'."
However, detectives then came to Andrea's home to tell her Jamie's bus pass had been found on the body.
"Then CID came knocking on the door and I knew," she said. "I hadn't prepared myself for that moment. I just wasn't expecting it."
On Monday, the kind stranger who found Jamie took his family to the place his body was discovered.
"The bloke who found him took us to the spot so we could lay some flowers. We had been on the other side of the river shouting his name. We were so close it's scary.
"I'm so grateful to him and to everyone that has helped."
Jamie also leaves dad Kelvin Roxby, 67, and siblings Bradley, 17, Alisha, 15, Mica, 26 and 11-year-old Kylie.
Police are not treating Jamie's death as suspicious and are preparing a report for the coroner.
Det Chief Insp Angela Hudson, of Northumbria Police, said: “We want to thank those who shared our appeal to help find Jamie and our thoughts remain with his family and loved ones. Our specialist officers will continue to offer them support during this extremely difficult time.”
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