A body found on Arbroath beach late last month has been confirmed as that of missing Dundee teenager Ralphie Smith.
A dog walker found the remains on the foreshore at Victoria Park early on the morning of Sunday March 26, a month after the 18-year-old had fallen from nearby cliffs during a family walk.
The incident sparked a major search effort involving coastguard rescue teams and a helicopter crew, along with Arbroath’s RNLI lifeboats.
Relatives of the teenager also organised subsequent searches of the Tayside coastline, with volunteers combing sites in Angus and Fife.
Ralphie’s distraught family were immediately informed of the discovery of the body last month and posted a heartfelt social media message thanking all those who had helped search for their son, saying that if the body was it would allow them to lay his to rest and properly grieve.
.A statement issued on Thursday afternoon said: “Police Scotland can confirm that following the recovery of a body from the beach near Victoria Park, Arbroath on Sunday March 26, the man has been identified.
“He has been named as 18-year-old Ralph Smith.
“As with all sudden deaths a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”
Ralph’s disappearance signalled a day of tragedy for the family after two other relatives died at a family gathering within 24 hours.
Julie McCash and David Sorrie died the day after his disappearance as they attended a family vigil for the teenager.
Their bodies were discovered in a Dundee street in the early hours of the morning on Sunday February 26.
Robert Stratton, 42, of the city’s Drumlanrig Drive, was subsequently charged with their murder and the attempted murder of a third person.
