A body has been found in the search for a firefighter who went missing in Manchester city centre.
Daniel (Dan) Lee, 41, went missing in the early hours of Monday morning after a night out with friends.
The watch manager was last seen walking along St Mary’s Parsonage, near Crazy Pedro’s, just after 1am on 22 August.
A huge search and rescue effort has taken place this week, with Tactical Aid Unit and North West Police Underwater Search and Marine Unit officers searching the River Irwell close to where Dan went missing.
GMP has now confirmed that the body of a man has been found.
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Firefighter Daniel (Dan) Lee was last seen in the early hours of Monday morning. Credit: GMP
A statement said: “We’ve sadly found the body of a man in the search for Daniel Lee from Salford. He was last seen in the early hours of Monday morning after a night out with friends in Manchester. His family have been informed and request privacy at this time.”
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue have now shared a heartfelt tribute to the ‘popular and valued’ colleague.
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Dave Russel, chief fire officer, said: “Everyone at GMFRS is shocked and deeply saddened by the untimely death of our colleague Watch Manager Dan Lee.
“Our thoughts are with Dan’s family and friends, as they have been over the past few days as the search for him has taken place. This is a tragic end to a very difficult week and not the outcome we all so desperately hoped for.
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“On behalf of GMFRS, I want to thank Greater Manchester Police for their efforts in the search for Dan, as well as colleagues across GMFRS and residents and partners from across our city region who have supported the search.
“Dan, who served with GMFRS for 16 years, was a popular and valued member of our GMFRS family and he will be greatly missed.”
In their appeal for information, Dan’s family told the Manchester Evening News that it was his daughter’s sixth birthday earlier this week, and said that his disappearance was ‘completely out of character’.
Featured image: GMP
News
Sexy Fish Manchester forced to temporarily close after huge Damien Hirst fish sculpture falls from wall
Daisy Jackson
Sexy Fish Manchester is temporarily closed after one of its impressive Damien Hirst sculptures fell from the wall of the luxury space – while diners were inside.
Videos shared online of the aftermath show the huge glittering sculpture smashed on the floor of the restaurant space, with chunks of concrete scattered.
The restaurant has a sign in the window confirming it is closed today due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’.
A statement from Sexy Fish Manchester confirmed that the dazzling artwork, which was part of the Spinningfields restaurant’s multi-million-pound fit-out, fell during lunch service yesterday.
Sexy Fish Manchester opened in 2023 in a huge space in Spinningfields, filling it with opulent details like a sparkling octopus sculpture, mermaids, a waterfall, and a huge fish tank.
It was one of the city’s most impressive openings of that year and has drawn in crowds with its premium sushi and seafood menu.
The statue that fell is one of the 3D Damien Hirst pieces, this one featuring intertwined swordfish.
Today, scaffolding can be seen inside the restaurant as repairs take place, with plans to reopen soon.
Sexy Fish said: “Yesterday, a piece of art fell off the wall at Sexy Fish Manchester.
“Our team responded immediately, and is in close contact with guests who were dining at the time.
Weather warnings issued with parts of Greater Manchester set to be battered by torrential rain
Emily Sergeant
Large parts of Greater Manchester are set to be battered with heavy rain and strong winds this weekend.
Summer couldn’t be a thing of the past more if it tried, at least not for the North anyway, as the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for a parts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland – with Greater Manchester very much included in the mix, and set to see some pretty grim conditions over the coming days.
According to the Met Office‘, unsettled conditions ‘will prevail’ for many with heavy rain and strong winds over the weekend, and even a risk of thunderstorms too.
The yellow weather warning – which covers most of Greater Manchester, primarily the more northern boroughs – comes into place from 9am on Saturday (20 September) and will officially end at 6am on Sunday (21 September).
Weather forecasters are warning local residents to take care when the rough conditions hit.
“20-40 mm of rain is expected to fall widely, with some locations perhaps seeing 60-100 mm, with much of this total falling in just a few hours,” explained Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Tom Crabtree.
“From mid-Saturday onwards, increasingly strong gusty winds and perhaps some thunder will also accompany the rainfall, further increasing the risk of disruption.”
He also added that strong winds are ‘likely’.
“These may potentially exceed 55 miles per hour, however the exact location and timing remain uncertain at this time [so] we’re closely monitoring developments and may issue more warnings as the situation evolves.”