Body found in River Usk confirmed as missing Ben Caplan
The body of a man recovered from the River Usk at Caerleon last Thursday is that of missing newspaper worker Ben Caplan, police have confirmed.
Mr Caplan, 30, of Newport, was last seen on a night out with friends in Caerleon on 7 December.
Gwent Coroner's office said the provisional cause of death was consistent with drowning, but it was awaiting toxicology results.
Mr Caplan's family have thanked those who helped search for him.
Formal identification was carried out after the body was discovered on 30 January.
In a statement released through Gwent Police, his family said they had been overwhelmed by all the messages of support, love and affection they had received in recent weeks.
"They especially would like to thank all those who volunteered their own time and everyone else who was involved in the searches, poster campaign and publicity efforts following Ben's disappearance," the statement said.
An inquest into Mr Caplan's death has been opened and adjourned for eight weeks.
Police and river rescue teams had carried out searches of the Usk following his disappearance but they were scaled back after Christmas.
The South Wales Argus, where Mr Caplan worked in the circulation department, featured posters on its website in the weeks following his disappearance.