THE cause of death of a missing man who was found unresponsive in a river could not be ascertained, an inquest heard. 

Timothy Hatcher, 69, was reported as missing on December 20 last year from Chelmsford, sparking a large-scale missing person investigation.

He received support from carers several times a day due to having dementia.

Maldon and Burnham Standard: Missing: Essex Police launched an extensive missing persons investigationMissing: Essex Police launched an extensive missing persons investigation (Image: Essex Police)

Mr Hatcher was last seen on the evening of December 18, confirmed by CCTV footage outside Aldi in Parkway.

Police were said to have carried out about 400 hours of searching, covering five kilometres of land and a four-kilometre stretch of the River Chelmer.

His body was found on Sunday, May 14, almost five months after he was reported missing.

Maldon and Burnham Standard: Court: outside the inquest court in ChelmsfordCourt: outside the inquest court in Chelmsford (Image: NQ)

A member of the public reported seeing a body partially submerged in water in the River Chelmer near Ricketts Lock.

Essex Police have not ruled his death as suspicious.

At his inquest, heard on Tuesday, Area Coroner Michelle Brown confirmed his cause of death as unascertained due to the condition of his body.