Ecuador trip pupils heading home

Civil Defence Force units are searching for Aaron Goss

Fellow pupils of a teenager who went missing on a school trip to the rainforests of Tena in Ecuador are heading back to the UK.

Aaron Goss, 17, of Rushden, Northants, disappeared on 26 July while swimming in a river with other students from Wollaston School.

Northamptonshire County Council said that the 17 other students on the trip were due home on Monday.

Two members of Aaron's family travelled to Ecuador over the weekend.

A Northants Police spokesman said they were with a representative of the company who organised the trip.

River cleared

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

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

Tour leaders said one of the professional guides saw a splash on the banks of 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, and were supported throughout the three weeks by Ecuadorian guides.