Family pay heartfelt tribute to missing mother Rachel Booth, describing her as a 'guiding light' and praising her 'strengths, love and devotion' after police divers found her body in a lake
Rachel Booth, 38, went missing during the night on Friday sparking a huge police search. Her belongings were found close to a lake leading to police divers conducting a search over three days.
A woman's body was found yesterday at the lake, in Oakmere, Cheshire, and this morning police said her family had confirmed identification.
Her death is not being treated as suspicious.
In a statement issued via Cheshire Police, Ms Booth's relatives said: 'Rachel, who was known to us as Helena, was a cherished member of our family.
'She was a guiding light whose strengths love, and devotion touched us all. Her kindness was constant and her presence a strength to everyone she knew, a loving mother, wife, daughter and sister who can never be replaced but always present in our hearts.
'Her absence leaves a space, but her smiles are a memory we will treasure for ever.'
The family added: 'As a family we would also like to offer our sincere thanks and appreciation to all the services and business that supported Cheshire Police and their officers during the search for Rachel.'
Ms Booth, who was married with three sons, was last seen in the early hours of Saturday morning at a garage seven miles from her home, in the village of Barnton, near Northwich, Cheshire.
She was filmed on CCTV when she called at the 24-hour Waitrose shop of the Shell petrol station, in Sandiway, on the main A556, at 3.50am.
Ms Booth, a keen runner who is believed to have jogged from her home, was dressed in black leggings, a black vest top and trainers, and it is believed she may have run to the garage.
Later on Saturday, officers from Cheshire Constabulary closed off the Wild Shore Delamere water sports centre, which is used for open water swimming, paddleboarding and wakeboarding and is around 1.7miles further along the main road towards Chester. Several police cars and fire engines were also seen in attendance.
On Sunday, police confirmed specialist divers were on the site searching the lake, which is next to a collection of holiday lodges at Delamere Lake Sailing and Holiday Park.
Ms Booth's mother, Chrissie Widdowson, 59, shared the police's appeal to find her daughter on Facebook.
According to social media, Ms Booth, who has sons aged 13, 10 and six, married her husband Carl, 47, in November 2022.
A source told the Mail a close family member reported her missing and there was evidence to suggest she had travelled to Wild Shore, where the main police activity was focused. Her belongings are believed to have been found close to the lake.
A member of staff at the petrol station also claimed that she bought milk and a bottle of wine from one of his colleagues, who told him she had jogged to the petrol station and didn't seem 'disturbed or flustered.'
One man, who 'grew up around the corner' from Ms Booth posted on Facebook that 'she is honestly one of the nicest people you could meet.'
Another said she had 'three gorgeous boys' and a 'loving husband.'
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