Another search today found no trace
20:59, 23 May 2026Updated 21:03, 23 May 2026
Missing post for Taylor Charlton
The desperate mother of missing Taylor Charlton collapsed and had to be rescued during one of the many agonising searches for her son along the River Taw.
Zoe Harvey suffered cuts to her face, hands and arms while fighting through reeds during a search for the 14-year-old along the river banks in Barnstaple, reports The Independent.
Taylor was last seen on Friday, May 8, in the car park next to Tesco Extra.
Multiple community searches have been organised to try to locate Taylor, the most recent taking place in Instow this afternoon, which, in an update made an hour ago, confirmed no trace had been found.
In a now-deleted picture posted on Facebook on Tuesday night, Ms Harvey was pictured lying on the floor, unconscious and covered in mud.
A friend who posted the picture wrote: “This is a picture of Taylor’s mum. I have watched her go through the emotions but the other night she got ‘mama bear angry’, she decided she was going to become Bear Grylls, picked up a stick and started hitting reeds with it till she sank in sewage and was stuck. She had to be pulled out and thankfully saved.
“Barely eating, sleeping or functioning, but this is a mother’s love trying to find her baby boy. She needs him home.”
Police searches have been focussed on the River Taw after a pair of shoes believed to belong to Taylor were found separately on the riverbank between Sticklepath and Bickington on May 13 and 14.
Devon and Cornwall Police said a sonar-equipped boat and divers searched the waterway on Thursday, May 21.
HM Coastguard have also been involved in searches.
Today, the National Police Air Service was spotted flying low over Barnstaple and the River Taw at lunchtime.
During a previous search beginning at The Quay Cafe in Braunton on May 19, set up to search Crow Point, Taylor’s friends told DevonLive how they would “not stop looking for Taylor.”
Grace Thurman, 17, said: “I’m close with Taylor, I’ve known him for years. He’s funny, likes going to the gym. He is just a really lovely boy. I’ve been out searching every day for the past week in the hope that he will be found safe.”
Charlie Ridd, 20, of Ilfracombe, is a family friend of Taylor’s. She said: “We’ve put out daily posts and organised searches, around 40 of us regularly search the North Devon area.
“As a community we have pulled together and said that we will not stop looking for Taylor, no matter how long it takes.”
Taylor is described as around 5ft 8ins tall, of muscular build, with dark brown hair and a moustache. He was last seen wearing a bright blue fitted top, jeans and bright blue Nike shoes.
If you have information, contact the police.