The search for a missing Oban woman ended in tragedy at the weekend after her body was recovered from a river.
Amunai Hobbs was pulled from the River Cart in Paisley, close to where she was last seen after leaving a hospital in the town.
Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious and her relatives had been given the sad news.
The 41-year-old, who was originally from Thailand, worked as a public toilet attendant at Oban’s North Pier and was a popular figure in the town.
Tributes were paid to her last night as news of her death was confirmed.
Alan McLeod, owner of Ee-Usk and Piazza restaurants on the North Pier, said: “What a shame. She was lovely to all of the children, giving them all sweets, she was the most popular worker we have ever had there.
“She was always very friendly, every customer got a greeting from her.
“She was really lovely and was always full of the joys of spring. She will be missed by everyone.”
Local businessman Gordon MacGillivray, who employed Mrs Hobbs several years ago at his waterfront seafood stall, said: “This is really terrible. I only saw her on the Wednesday she left. Everyone in the town will know of Amunai.
“She was a lovely wee woman and really good with the customers.”
Mrs Hobbs left her Oban home on October 1, and had been planning to fly to her birthplace in Thailand the following morning.
She was seen at Glasgow Airport in the early hours, but left and went to the nearby Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, reporting that she felt unwell.
At around 10.35am on October 2, she left the hospital without receiving treatment and was not seen again.
She missed her flight to Bangkok and police checks showed she made no attempt to board any later flights.
Officers launched a massive search which came to its sad conclusion on Saturday.
A police spokeswoman said: “Her body was recovered by officers from the River Cart at Inchinnan Road, Paisley, at around 11.40am on Saturday.
“Her relatives are aware.
“A postmortem will take place to establish cause of death but it would appear there are no suspicious circumstances.
“A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.”
The operation to find Mrs Hobbs included the use of the force helicopter and specialist search officers.
Police in Oban were also involved in the hunt, liaising with her friends and family.
It is understood she had a son from her first marriage.
She was well known in the west Highland capital and had lived in the town since coming to Scotland with her husband, a diver, who met her in Thailand.
Mrs Hobbs’ husband died some years ago in a diving accident.
Local people who knew her said she had recently remarried, to a refuse collector who worked in the town.