WYLAM, ENGLAND — Northumbria Police have re-arrested two men, aged 22 and 23, on suspicion of manslaughter following the discovery of soldier Liam Potts' body near Wylam Bridge on Aug. 18, three days after he disappeared.
Potts, 22, served with the Coldstream Guards. Police said they received reports of a disturbance at The Boathouse pub in the early hours of Aug. 15, followed by a collision at Wylam Bridge involving a car and pedestrians. Potts was on the bridge when the collision occurred but was not hit by the vehicle. He entered the water within minutes of the crash.
Police are investigating whether these incidents are connected to Potts entering the water. Two people — a man and a woman, both in their 20s — sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries in the bridge collision. The woman was discharged from the hospital; the man remains hospitalized.
The two men re-arrested remain in police custody. Authorities have not released their identities or specific roles in the incidents.
Liam Potts' family released a tribute calling him "the heart and soul of any room." In a statement, they said: "We are going to miss your smile, your laugh, and the little things that made you who you are. Though time may pass, the love we have for you will never fade."
The family thanked the North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team and the Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team for their search efforts, and acknowledged Northumbria Police and the police diving team for "being able to successfully bring our boy home."
