Formal identification has taken place after a body was found in the River Wye near Chepstow on 8th January by Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) volunteers on a routine training exercise.
A youth coach with Monmouth Cricket Club and teaching assistant at Monmouth Comprehensive School, Liam Stubbs was a popular cricket coach and had just been appointed captain of Monmouth Cricket Club’s third team. He travelled to Uganda in March 2016 with the charity Cricket Without Boundaries, holding coaching clinics in Lugazi, Fort Portal and Kaseze, having raised £975 towards the trip, which raised HIV/AIDS awareness as well as spreading the game of cricket.
Tributes have been paid to Mr Stubbs, including from colleagues at Monmouth Cricket Club. Chairman of the club Mike Maguire said: “Liam was a hardworking and dedicated player/ coach with the club and had been so for a number of years. Cricket was his passion in life and he will be missed by many involved with the game locally.
“Our thoughts are very much with Liam’s family at this extremely difficult time.
Mr Stubbs was last seen in Monmouth at around 1pm on Saturday 19th November, and a search was conducted on the River Monnow and River Wye at the time that he went missing.
Almost two months later, a joint rescue operation between SARA, Gloucestershire Police and Chepstow Coastguard recovered a body from the river near Broadrock, Woodcroft, following a routine ground exercise.
An inquest has been opened and adjourned at Gloucester Coroner’s Office.
A spokesperson from Gwent Police said: “We have notified the family of Liam Stubbs, and specialist officers are providing support.
“Officers are not treating the death as suspicious at this time.”