THE devastated family of a man found dead in a river have been told they will never fully know what happened to him.

Essex Police launched a manhunt for Callum Brown, 21, after he went missing following a night out with friends from his workplace Anglian Water in Colchester town centre.

Five days later his body was spotted by a passerby in the River Colne.

During an inquest at Essex Coroner’s Court Mr Brown’s family said it was “eating away at them” to find out what happened to him and suggested he may have fallen into the river accidentally.

Mr Brown, who lived in Wivenhoe, was last seen on CCTV leaving Qube in Crouch Street at 12.30am before turning into St Peter’s Street in the direction of the park – a route he often used to walk home.

Acting inspector Tim Goodwin said senior officers were holding a meeting about extending the search even further when a call came in to say a body had been found on July 5.

He said: “We were talking about extending the search even further.

“There was quite a high level meeting when a call came in on the radio to say a body had been found in Castle Park.

“It was hard to spot from the bank.”

Mr Goodwin confirmed there was no CCTV in the park close to the river where Mr Brown was found near Riverside Walk.

Mr Brown, who was not a strong swimmer, had no signs of bruising on his body but had alcohol in his system consistent with having been on a night out. The cause of death was drowning and his watch had stopped at 1.30am.

His family described him as a careful and responsible young man, who knew Castle Park well.

Senior coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray expressed her sympathy to Mr Brown’s family and recorded an open verdict.

She said: “There is no evidence Callum intended to take his own life.

“The court now has to consider the conclusion of accident – did he trip or slip on his way home?

“I am not going to record accident because there is no CCTV footage – we just don’t know.

“We will never quite know what happened to him.

“He clearly was much loved and he probably had a bright future ahead of him.”