An elite underwater diving team is being drafted in to use state-of-the-art sonar equipment as the search continues for Hazel Nairn.
Ms Nairn was walking home with her dog when she was swept away by the fast-flowing river during stormy weather last November.
In a bid to help find the 71-year-old, a diving team, Beneath the Surface, has been called to help following a plea from Mrs Nairn’s daughter, Anneka Gray.
Her family has never given up hope of finding the 71-year-old.
Search to begin within weeks
According to the Daily Mail, the search is expected to begin within the coming weeks.
A spokesman for Beneath the Surface said: “It’s a long, difficult stretch to search and it has been a considerably long time.
“We never give guarantees either way. We’re hopeful but we’ll need luck. It’s going to be difficult.
“Missing person searches are extremely difficult, especially water searches.”
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Mrs Gray has said that there “is still hope”.
A voluntary underwater sonar search and recovery dive team based in Lancashire is being brought in.
It will be the first time divers have been deployed in the search for the missing Scots gran.
‘There is still hope’
She added: “Divers were never utilised as it wasn’t considered an option by the police. I believe that if divers were involved from the outset, we might have found my mum.
“But there’s still hope.
“We are very thankful to Phil and his team. They deserve a medal for all they do. They are all volunteers but divers I think are the key.”
Mrs Gray said: ‘Even locating a piece of my mother’s clothing would provide some solace.
“We have found nothing except her purse and mobile phone near where she fell into the river.
“Our family and friends remain shocked at her absence. We want to find her and, if possible, scatter her ashes where she would have wanted.”
Superintendent David Howieson of Police Scotland said: “Thorough searches were conducted in challenging weather conditions. Any new leads will be thoroughly investigated.”
Police search stood down in January
A huge search operation was launched back in November, involving police and coastguards, and her beloved dog was found a week later.
Despite land and water searches, the teams found no trace of Ms Nairn and stood down their search in January.
Mrs Gray – who previously told The P&J that her own young daughter was struggling to come to terms with the loss of her precious nana – continued her own searches and enlisted the help of a local drone pilot too.
She and her brother Greig organised a memorial service at Kintore Parish Church for their mum in March.
Donations from the service were put towards the installation of a bench at Monymusk Park – one of Ms Nairn’s favourite spots.
