POLICE are continuing to appeal for witnesses to an incident which provoked a massive search and rescue operation in Calstock at the weekend.

An eye witness reported to have seen a man fall from Calstock Viaduct on Sunday afternoon.

Emergency services swooped into the village and extensive searches were carried out with the assistance of a police helicopter, fire crews from across Devon and Cornwall, the MOD Police Marine Unit and British Transport Police into the evening but no-one was found.

Searches continued the next day but were stood down on Tuesday as the man had still not been located.

Officers have eliminated any local missing people from their enquiries but are appealing for witnesses with any information to come forward.

On Sunday extensive search operations commenced of the River Tamar around the quay, viaduct and riverbanks.

Fire crews from Callington, Tavistock, Bere Alston, Plymouth and a water rescue team from St Austell assisted local police, British Transport Police, MOD police with boat launchers and police helicopters to search the river.

The Tamar Inn became a centre for rescue crews.

Barman Chase Wood said there was a large amount of emergency personnel in the little village, the scale of which he had never seen before. At the time Chase said: ‘This is a small community and we have not yet heard of anyone going missing.’

Sunday’s search had to be suspended at 5.30pm due to light and tidal conditions. Duty fire officer, Mike Tremellan said police would make a further determination once the conditions improved.

As the active search resumed in the following days, local officers, including police divers from The Devon and Cornwall Police diving and marine unit, continued proactive water and land-based searches around Calstock Viaduct on Monday and Tuesday, however no one was located.

Details about the man thought to have fallen off the viaduct, such as the age of the person Devon and Cornwall police said are unknown due to the distance away from the eyewitness.

There has been lots of speculation surrounding the incident as no one has been reported missing in the village and the man has not been located.

Any witnesses to the incident or anyone with information which may assist with enquiries is asked to contact police via 101, quoting log number 415 of 8 January.