A search for a missing 18-year-old who was swept away after falling into the River Nith three weeks ago has again drawn a blank.
More than 70 searchers from both sides of the Border yesterday combed River estuaries, marshes and shorelines on the Solway Firth.
Macauley McQueen, 18, fell into the River Nith at Dumfries after a night out in Dumfries with pals three days before Christmas.
His distraught family have waited for news but despite searches by mountain rescue and coastguard teams along with volunteers and police, no trace has been found.
Inspector Ian Cowie of Police Scotland, who co-ordinated the search, said: "This was a major search but we did not find any trace of Macauley. We had two mountain rescue team, coastguard teams from Cumbria as well as Dumfries and Galloway along with the Nith Inshore Rescue Lifeboat."
Macauley who lived at Goldie Crescent in Dumfries is believed to have been making his way home when he disappeared at the Greensands, near the Nithsdale Rowing Club premises in Dumfries.
His father Steve, 40, thanked everyone involved in the searches since his son disappeared.
He said: "It's a difficult time. It was a devastating accident and we can't move on as a family until he is found"
Police Scotland said their investigations into Macaulay's disappearance would continue and added that his distraught family was being kept informed of developments.
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