Family joins forest hunt for teen

Civil Defence Force units are searching for Aaron Goss

Relatives of a teenager who went missing on a school trip to the rainforests of Tena in Ecuador have travelled to the region, police said.

Aaron Goss, 17, of Rushden, Northants, disappeared on Wednesday while swimming in a river with other students from Wollaston School.

A Northants Police spokesman said two members of Aaron's family left the UK on Saturday.

He said they were with a representative of the company who organised the trip.

"The family have travelled to Ecuador so that they have representation at the location at this very difficult time.

"These are the only details the family wish to release," he said.

'Splash' spotted

The search for the 17-year-old was continuing on Sunday, but it is still not known how he disappeared.

Tour leaders said one of the professional guides with the group of 18 students saw a splash on the banks on the river where some of the teenagers were swimming.

When they cleared the rainforest river Aaron was missing.

The Foreign Office said a specialist river search team had been drafted in to search the waters near the resort where the students went swimming.

The team of students and two teachers were with two professional leaders from Adventureworks, who organised the expedition, supported throughout the three weeks by Ecuadorian guides.

The rest of the group will return to Quito and fly back to Britain soon.