THE national media’s interest in the miracle rescue of Matthew Harvey led directly to his downfall. A woman in the UK read the story on a website.

‘As a result of that she contacted us to say she had information that we might like to know,’ said Chief Inspector Ruari Hardy.

A UK force questioned her late on Wednesday, while Guernsey Police carried out further enquiries locally.

These found that Mr Harvey had left Guernsey by ferry at noon on Saturday, four hours before he was reported missing.

He returned at 5.30pm on Monday, about an hour-and-a-quarter before he was pulled from the water off Fermain.

Mr Harvey claimed he had entered the water at about 9am on Saturday and had been lost for 58 hours after a boat struck him on the head.

Police questioned Mr Harvey yesterday. Wife Katie was seen driving him from the police station at about 3.30pm, returning without him about 10 minutes later.

‘Police inquiries are still ongoing in order to establish whether any offences have been committed,’ said Chief Inspector Hardy.

‘From the outset of this missing person inquiry through to the present time, we have kept the family fully informed of developments and also have ensured that the welfare of Mr Harvey is of importance.’

The force had concluded its missing person investigation before the phone call from the UK.

Chief Inspector Hardy said officers had then acted very quickly.

Speculation was rife yesterday morning that there were further developments to the so-called ‘miracle rescue’ story.

Police revealed early yesterday afternoon that Mr Harvey’s story of being struck by a boat and spending many hours on rocks on the south coast had been a tissue of lies.

‘Before we went public on such a bombshell, we had to make sure our position was based on evidence rather than speculation,’ said Chief Inspector Hardy.

He said implied criticism of the search and rescue operation in certain parts of the media had been unfounded as Mr Harvey had not been there to find.

Harbour master and search co-ordinator Captain Peter Gill said the rescue authorities had been open-minded as to what might have happened to Mr Harvey as even the most unlikely scenario could prove to be true.

‘It was not until such a time that Mr Harvey produced his own account of events and we overlaid them on a wind and current model that suspicions arose,’ he said.

‘While the search and rescue team is satisfied that criticism made in the media regarding our ability to conduct a search properly has proven to be unfounded, our sympathy goes to the whole Harvey family at this time.

‘Given the same circumstances, we would do exactly the same again.

‘Time and money have been spent, but no life has been lost.’