Oliwier Kaczmarowski: Body found in river after search for missing school boy, police confirm

A body in search of a missing 15-year-old boy who disappeared for nearly five days has been found in a river on Friday (May 26). The boy, locally named as Oliwier Kaczmarowski, was last seen entering the River Trent near a bridge in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, at 9.20pm on Monday (22/5).

Officers, drones and underwater search teams have been scouring the river in the hunt for the schoolboy all week. Members of the public had also launched their own search parties to look for the teenager since he disappeared.

Lincolnshire Police have on Friday confirmed a body had been recovered from the river around 300m from where he went missing. The force were however unable to confirm whether it was Oliwier and procedures to identify the body were continuing while his family were informed of the development.

A police spokesperson said: "You will be aware that we have had a significant search effort around the River Trent in Gainsborough as we try to locate Oliwier. Today, that has included a specially-trained underwater search team and officers searching the banks.

"We are saddened to report that this afternoon, we have recovered a body around 300m from the Flood Road bridge. Officers remain on scene as we start the difficult process of removing the body, and we ask that people not share images or posts from the location.

"No formal identification has yet been carried out, so we are unable to confirm that it is Oliwier at this time. Procedures to identify the body are on-going. Oliwier’s family have been informed of developments and our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times.

“We ask that their privacy is respected. We are currently treating the death as unexplained, and we are liaising with the Coroner."

On Thursday, (May 25) police confirmed they believed Oliwier had entered the water after retrieving CCTV of him near the riverbank.

Supt Baker also thanked the local community who had been walking the river banks and locations around the River Trent as well as printing out posters of the teenager. He added: "We would like to recognise the enormous support shown by the local community, which has included sharing information and local searches."