Police find body in search for ‘stressed and anxious’ father-of-two, 59, who vanished on riverside walk five days after taking final ‘accidental’ selfie
- Stephen Ridley was last seen on July 13 at around 3pm when he was on his walk
- The 59-year-old from Ely in Cambridgeshire had taken a final selfie hours earlier
- The picture was automatically uploaded to the iCloud and was seen by his family
- His wife Denise, 55, believe the photo was ‘accidental’ due to angle it was taken
- His body was found in water at Roswell Pits Nature Reserve, near Ely, on July 18
A body has been found in the search for a father of two who disappeared five days after he took a haunting ‘accidental’ selfie.
Stephen Ridley was last seen on July 13 at around 3pm when he was taking his long, daily walk along a river near his home.
The 59-year-old from Ely, Cambridgeshire, had snapped a final selfie just hours before he vanished.
The photograph was automatically uploaded to iCloud and was seen later that evening by his family on their linked iPad at home after Mr Ridley did not return.
His wife Denise, 55, believe the picture was ‘accidental’ due to the angle it was taken at.
Mr Ridley’s family say he had been feeling ‘stressed and anxious’ due to coronavirus and it was common for him to go out walking for hours at a time.
His body was found in water at Roswell Pits Nature Reserve, near Ely, on Saturday.
Stephen Ridley (pictured with wife Denise), from Ely, Cambridgeshire, was last seen on July 13 at around 3pm when he was taking his long, daily walk along a river near his home
Mr Ridley, 59, is thought to have accidentally taken this selfie hours before he disappeared in Ely on Monday
Cambridgeshire Police, who had been searching for him for days, say his death is not being treated as suspicious.
Heartbroken Mrs Ridley, 55, shared the news on Facebook: ‘This is something I never thought in my life that I would have to write. Unfortunately, this afternoon Stephen’s body was found in Roswell Pits.
‘We kindly ask at this time that you respect our family’s privacy but we thank everyone for their kindness and support through this awful time. The past week has been a roller coaster of emotions.
‘We would also like to make a special thank you to Cambridgeshire, and specifically Ely Police for their amazing help and compassion in dealing with this difficult situation and our family.
‘CAMSAR, Cambridge Search and Rescue, also deserves all of our thanks for all of their help during this past week and finally allowing us to have closure.
‘Please remember all the good times that you have had with Stephen in the past. We have had so many messages from you all telling us about all the happy times that you have had with him and it is so heartwarming.’
Mrs Ridley said her husband had been under a lot of stress and anxiety before his disappearance
Mr Ridley took a selfie outside Riverside Bar and Kitchen in, Ely which looks on to this boating service area known as Ely Marina. The photo was pinged to the family iPad and found later
Mrs Ridley signed the post off from herself, her two daughters Hannah, 22, and Lily, 13, and the family’s dog, Minnie.
Pictured: A copy of the missing person poster that was shared by Mr Ridley’s family
Meanwhile, Hannah simply posted on Facebook: ‘I didn’t think I’d have to imagine the rest of my life without you Dad, but I love you more than words can possibly say.’
Speaking last Thursday, three days after her husband went missing, Mrs Ridley said: ‘He’s been under a lot of stress and anxiety recently – which we now think was more like depression – due to the coronavirus situation.
‘It’s so tough at the moment. It’s affecting everyone in different ways.’
She said her husband had recently taken early retirement from his job at a recruitment agency and was ‘struggling to find his place’.
A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Constabulary said on Saturday: ‘Some sad news to share. We’ve found the body of a man in our search for missing Stephen Ridley.
‘The body was discovered today (July 18) in the water at Roswell Pits, Ely. The death is not being treated as suspicious.
‘Stephen’s family have been informed and officers are working with the Coroner regarding the incident.’