Family of missing Celtic FC fan fear he is dead after vanishing abroad

Gary Watson Shearer, 53, was reported missing from the resort town of Puerto del Carmen after having drinks in Bar 67 on March 16.

The dad suffers from epilepsy and type 2 diabetes, and relatives believe he will not have survived without access to his medication.

He had flown out to the island to celebrate St Patrick’s Day and disappeared after being refused entry into a taxi outside the bar. He was reported missing after failing to check in for his flight home.

In an exclusive interview with the Glasgow Times, his devastated family, who have already flown out to the popular resort to carry out their own search, say they desperately need closure and won’t give up in their quest for answers.

Gary’s sister Michelle Shearer said: “Our world has been torn apart and we can’t sleep or function properly because we fear the worst has happened.

“The past seven weeks have been a living nightmare and we’ve had to accept and come to terms with the likelihood that Gary is no longer alive. We know he needs daily medication and wouldn’t be able to survive this amount of time without it. We know he is on the island somewhere, but we just don’t know exactly where.

“It’s tearing us apart and our mum Ann’s weight has gone down to six stone and she’s on sleeping tablets and medication to help her stay calm. We are all struggling to process how he could just vanish without a trace and we’ve cried so many tears because we just miss him so much. Someone must know something and with each week that passes we know in our hearts that something terrible has happened.”

Celtic fan Gary, from Renfrew, disappeared just a few hours after landing in the holiday resort. He left his passport and money in a safe in the apartment and took just 70 Euros with him to go out for a few drinks.

He had previously enjoyed holidays in the resort and his family say he was his usual happy-go-lucky self and looking forward to a break in the sun.

We previously told how Gary’s mum Ann, 73, stepfather Danny, 65, and Michelle, 43, went to Lanzarote last month in the hope they could find out more about his last movements, but Michelle says they were simply handed a brown envelope by Spanish police containing Gary’s bank card and other possessions and told the authorities would keep searching.

She said: “There’s no possible way he could survive there on his own without cash or his belongings. We checked the local hospitals but there’s no sign of him.  

“We went around the place putting up posters and we were contacted by an Irish man who said he had seen Gary but he was pretty drunk. He had tried to get him into a taxi, but the driver refused to take him.

“He told us that he was worried about the state Gary was in and even went back to the apartment the following day to ask the receptionist if he made it back okay. He’s upset at what has happened and was in tears when he was talking to us.”

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The family were also contacted by a lady who said she saw Gary lying unconscious in a doorway of a shoe shop near to the bar, but she admitted that instead of trying to help, she just walked on.

Michelle added: “CCTV shows that Gary never crossed that part of the main road to the beach. What we need to know is how has he just disappeared into thin air?

“Someone must know what happened to Gary, but we are not getting any answers. We’ll keep on pushing the Spanish police and we will be heading out in a few weeks to conduct more searches on the island. He is there somewhere - but we now accept that he’s no longer likely to be alive.”

Michelle told how Gary was the heart and soul of the family. She says he was always full of fun and the type of person who would go out his way to help others.

She added: “Family was everything to him and this is completely out of character. He was never without a smile on his face and always put other people ahead of himself. He doted on his family and had so much ahead of him.

“Every time the phone rings we are hoping it’s someone with news. It’s getting harder and harder for us as the days and weeks go by.

“It’s been a tough time for all of us. Our lives are in complete turmoil, and we face the daily agony of having no answers."

When last seen, Gary was wearing a hooped Celtic top, shorts and white Nike trainers with green and yellow flashes. He has short hair, is 5ft 2in and walks with a distinctive limp.

Police in Spain have asked anyone who has information on Gary's whereabouts to contact them.

Michelle added: “We will do everything in our power to find him and won’t stop until we know what has happened.

“If anyone knows anything, please get in touch with the police or reach out to us as a family.”

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A spokesperson for the Spanish Guardia Civil, which is investigating the case, says it is doing all it can to solve the riddle of Gary’s disappearance.

The authorities say that the probe is under the control of a court – as is normal practice in Spain in these circumstances – which means the amount of information that can be released to the public is limited.

The spokesperson added: "The local police are carrying out enquiries into Gary's disappearance and haven't stopped their work.

"We met with the family when they arrived in Lanzarote and we are updating the British Consulate when we can.

"The investigation is going to take time. However, we are moving forward."