A BODY which was found during the search for a missing woman who was swept away in floods 19 months ago has been formally identified.
Hazel Nairn was last seen in the water at the River Don, near Monymusk, Aberdeenshire, at around 3.05pm on Friday, November 18, 2022.
Police confirmed that a woman’s body had been recovered from the water on Tuesday, May 7.
Now, more than a month later, formal identification has confirmed that the remains found in the River Don were Hazel.
Her family has been informed.
Officers added that her death is not suspicious.
The 71-year-old was thought to have been trying to save her dog when she vanished back in 2022.
It’s understood she was trying to carry her Westie Ruaridh to safety during extreme downpours and gale force winds.
Torrential downpours triggered an amber weather warning around where Hazel was walking Ruaridh.
She feared the water was too deep for him and she was trying to carry him through flood water.
But it’s claimed she lost her footing and slipped into the fast-flowing River Don, which carried her away.
A few days after her disappearance, Hazel’s dog was tragically found near the river.
A huge search operation involving police, fire brigade, coastguard and diving teams went on for months to search for the missing mum.
Members of the public also joined in and Hazel’s daughter Anneka was out with them trying to find her mum.
Anneka even took up kayaking in a bid to find her body.
The family even drafted in the help of professional diver Peter Faulding who helped in the search for missing mum Nicola Bulley, who went missing in January after dropping her daughters off at school.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “The remains of a woman recovered from the River Don near Kemney, Inverurie, on Tuesday, 7 May, 2024, have been formally identified as Hazel Nairn.
“The 71-year-old was last seen near to Monymusk on Friday, 18 November, 2022.
“Her family has been informed.
“The death is not suspicious and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.”