UK UK - Jack O'Sullivan, 22, left friends after night out, last seen Brunel Lock Road/Brunel Way, Bristol at 3.15am, 2 Mar 2024

I tried to find something about the tide times but I'm completely useless at it, I think this might help?


Great find! :)Screenshot 2024-04-08 at 22.32.45.png

It seems the height of the water seems to change over the course of a few days, rather than every day as it would at the coastline. I assume because its inland, but probably also depending on rain from tributaries entering the River Avon. I assume it was technically March the 3rd he went missing, but either way it looks like there would have been water flowing that night.
 
I agree, unfortunately a positive outcome seems unlikely at this stage.

But the question remains did he fall into the River Avon, end up falling off the A370 attempting to walk home, or get into a vehicle and not arrive home.

Falling into water seems the most likely explanation but after the Leah Croucher case, who also went missing near water yet was subsequently found to have been murdered, it's important to keep an open mind.
 
Last confirmed sighting of Jack

Jack was last seen down in the Cumberland Basin area of the city at around 3.15am after going to a party with his friends in Hotwells.

The law student tried, without luck, to flag taxis to the home he shares with his mother and father in Flax Bourton.

Jack's mum, Catherine O'Sullivan told ITV News she had waited up for her son after he left the party, but fell asleep after receiving a text from him at 1.52am telling her he would get a taxi home.

At 3.24am Jack attempted to call a friend who was already at the party.

When the friend called back, Mr O'Sullivan answered but the line went dead, Avon and Somerset Police say.
When his parents, Catherine and Alan, from Flax Bourton, awoke after 5am and realised he hadn't come home, they used an app to see where he was.

This showed Jack - or at least his phone - was in Granby Hill in Hotwells, a few streets uphill from the docks.

His phone remained active on the Find My Friends app up until 6.44am.
 
Last confirmed sighting of Jack

Jack was last seen down in the Cumberland Basin area of the city at around 3.15am after going to a party with his friends in Hotwells.

The law student tried, without luck, to flag taxis to the home he shares with his mother and father in Flax Bourton.

Jack's mum, Catherine O'Sullivan told ITV News she had waited up for her son after he left the party, but fell asleep after receiving a text from him at 1.52am telling her he would get a taxi home.

At 3.24am Jack attempted to call a friend who was already at the party.

When the friend called back, Mr O'Sullivan answered but the line went dead, Avon and Somerset Police say.
When his parents, Catherine and Alan, from Flax Bourton, awoke after 5am and realised he hadn't come home, they used an app to see where he was.

This showed Jack - or at least his phone - was in Granby Hill in Hotwells, a few streets uphill from the docks.

His phone remained active on the Find My Friends app up until 6.44am.
This makes me think something more sinister has occurred :(
 
Jack is smartly dressed, but in this situation those colours might make him more difficult to spot, on the other hand, would a Barbour jacket or trainers standout to thieves?
3 DAYS AGO Laura Butler
rbbm speculation, imo.
''Jack O’Sullivan, 22 years old, was last seen walking near Bristol City Centre by Brunel Lock Road on Saturday 2nd March at 3:15am meaning he now been missing for five weeks.

Police have described Jack as white, around 5ft 10, of slim build, with short brown hair. He was said to be wearing a quilted green/brown Barbour jacket over a beige woollen jumper, with navy chinos and brown leather trainers with white soles''
1712965690107.png
“We’re keen for the public to focus on the time of the last confirmed sighting and we still want to speak to anyone driving on the Cumberland Basin around this time, as well as anyone driving outbound towards Ashton, as they may have dashcam footage which could help us.”
''If you have any information please call 999 and give the reference number 5224055172.''
 
This showed Jack - or at least his phone - was in Granby Hill in Hotwells, a few streets uphill from the docks.

This is odd. Does anyone know how accurate these app are? I have never used one. I imagine when service is good from both devices and not lagging, the information is accurate. The network service should be good at Jack's last known location, and the parents were at home, likely going off home Wifi. So there's no reason to suggest this information is wrong.

Some possible scenarios for him ending up near Granby Hill are,

1. He thought it would be easier to get a taxi in the Granby Hill area, so headed in that direction. This is somewhat logical, because hailing a taxi along Brunel Way might be more difficult, compared to a residential street, where it's easier for the taxi driver to stop their car. He may have been unsuccessful at getting a taxi here and then crossed the Cumberland Basin by foot, once again increasing the probability of an accident by falling into the water.

2. His phone was robbed near where he was last seen and the perpetrator headed towards the Granby Hill area. If Jack had followed in pursuit, he would have had to navigate across at least two dangerous footbridges under the influence of alcohol. This could explain why his phone ended up in the Granby Hill area and continued to be on for several hours.
It's a good spot to rob someone because of the several routes a perpetrator could take, however, I have found little information regarding previous incidents in this spot.

Granby.png
These are the three footbridges, they seem to be publicly accessible, although it does seem there is cctv pointing at them.
 
Last edited:
It would have been a very dangerous route to walk towards Granby Hill. This floating dock section is absent of balustrades, apart from the footbridges. The drop is very significant. The area near Avon Gorge viewpoint could also dangerous but the sand has been deposited here making a more gradual slope towards the water. However CCTV may have already ruled out whether he took this route.
Screenshot 2024-04-13 at 13.14.02.pngScreenshot 2024-04-13 at 13.09.37.png
 
It would have been a very dangerous route to walk towards Granby Hill. This floating dock section is absent of balustrades, apart from the footbridges. The drop is very significant. The area near Avon Gorge viewpoint could also dangerous but the sand has been deposited here making a more gradual slope towards the water. However CCTV may have already ruled out whether he took this route.
View attachment 496901View attachment 496900
The river has a huge tidal range and the river bed is muddy not sandy. Looking at the tide times there’s a possibility that the tide was low when he was in the area.

Another man went missing from Blaise Woods just before Christmas and his body was found in this river near the suspension bridge 2 months later. So it could be a while before something turns up in the river if he did fall in.

Another thing to note is the Plimsoll Bridge/ Brunel way has a 40mph speed limit, but this is often not observed. It’s a fast road to walk along if he did find his way up there.

There are so many possibilities with what could have happened. I really hope the family get answers.
 
Jack is smartly dressed ... would a Barbour jacket or trainers standout to thieves?

He was said to be wearing a quilted green/brown Barbour jacket over a beige woollen jumper, with navy chinos and brown leather trainers with white soles''
Edited by me for focus.

Has Jack been the victim of a mugging that has gone horribly wrong? Have his clothes marked him out as a potential "soft touch", especially as he was on his own? I'm clutching at straws to think what has happened to this poor lad.
 
Edited by me for focus.

Has Jack been the victim of a mugging that has gone horribly wrong? Have his clothes marked him out as a potential "soft touch", especially as he was on his own? I'm clutching at straws to think what has happened to this poor lad.
There are so many uncertainties, it’s good to keep an open mind about what could have happened and consider all eventualities.
Does feel odd that his phone was detected on Granby Hill and potentially the cctv shows him walking in that direction. He’s almost walked in a circle, maybe he realised he couldn’t get back home that late at night so tried to go back to the party.
 
Mrs O'Sullivan also revealed that the family had used a ‘Find My Phone’ app, which provided an approximate location. However, the police were initially unable to search the address it showed, due to a lack of evidence. She added: “They didn’t initially go there because they said they had no evidence as Jack wasn’t sighted there, which was very frustrating for us.”
 
Mrs O'Sullivan also revealed that the family had used a ‘Find My Phone’ app, which provided an approximate location. However, the police were initially unable to search the address it showed, due to a lack of evidence. She added: “They didn’t initially go there because they said they had no evidence as Jack wasn’t sighted there, which was very frustrating for us.”
This was on Granby Hill I believe.
 
Members of the Bristol community are arranging a search for Jack this Wednesday (April 24) from midday around the area he was last seen in.

Those who are able to take part in the search on Wednesday will be meeting up outside the “Cycling my life” building (the what3words is Rivers.necks.motel) where routes and health and safety procedures will be discussed before the search begins.

[...]

If Wednesday’s search is unsuccessful, a second one will be taking place over the weekend.

 
rbbm
''With approval from Jack's family, Katie Bailey will meet with volunteers near the BW Cycling building on Brunel Way and discuss various search routes from 11.45am on Wednesday (April 24). The searches will then take place from 12.20pm.
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''Jack was also in possession of an Apple Air Tag in a brown leather case, a Peugeot 108 key fob, his driving license, black card holder and his house key. Referring to Catherine O'Sullivan's belief that Jack would have been passed by 15 vehicles, Katie hopes just one of those drivers or its occupants remembers seeing Jack in the area''
 

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