UK - Anthony Parsons, 63, charity cyclist, found deceased, Argyll, Scotland, 29 Sept 2017 *Arrests*

[william tell]

I still think there's a possibility that someone stole his bike

I went from Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy last week and the river was very shallow in most places, due to the continuous dry days/warm weather, with just rocks at the bottom showing. I also went through Glen Orchy a little and the river looked mainly the same there. I don't know if the river is usually deeper through there as it's been about a year since I last went that way. So you'd think that if the rivers go down a lot with the warmer weather, then he might just be spotted this summer by one of the tourists...fingers crossed.

There's also another far fetched possibility that he might have passed the CCTV at Tyndrum without being noticed because he looked different. Maybe he might have ditched the bike if it became damaged or might have got his bike muddied up so it looked brown instead of yellow or he changed in to some other clothes as his first outfit got too wet to ride in so passed the CCTV looking like another person. I'm just trying to think how an investigator might think (and probably watched too much TV lol).

you have got to take in consideration that he has been swept away and got snagged in a deep pool. these pools will always remain deep.

 

[missstery]

I hope one day they will investigate these deep pools.

 

[missstery]

So upsetting that Tony hasn't been found yet. I will always think of him when I am in the area. It's almost the start of the 2nd summer season since his disappearance and almost 2 yrs since that fateful night.

 

[pjm06]

I'm also still checking in here every now and again. Unbelievable that there's been no developments in almost 2 years.

 

[william tell]

I'm also still checking in here every now and again. Unbelievable that there's been no developments in almost 2 years.

quite frankly it's because the police refuse to look in the right place.....

 

[Taskforce88]

I enquired to Police Scotland and the SAR teams and volunteers that were out in the days and weeks after his disappearance. A few volunteers got back and said that the riverside was searched from Bridge of Orchy Hotel down to Auch and beyond. Nobody was able to say if any search took place of the river itself, however, I was told that the police were confident that he is not in the area and that many are simply baffled.

 

[william tell]

I've been looking into this again and applying my same logic to another route. there seems to be 3 ways. 1. the main road(A83) 2. the old military road that runs adjacent. 3.B8074 This route would be quite an unorthodox road but fits the reason i think for a faulty back light. I am convinced that he didn't take the main road as i'm sure he would have been recovered by now.
something tells me the 3rd route was the direction he went. The river there is fast and dangerous easily hiding a bike and him. His faulty light would had stopped him progressing down the main road..the B8074 would still take him to Tyndrum. This route is much quieter, in fact ,i think he would have been the only person on that road. I have biked it myself , during the day and saw only one car.
How he managed to get in the water may be easier to explain than you think. around 38 mins along the route there is a bridge, this bridge had just been completed , it's at eas urchaidh.
This newly constructed bridge would had fascinated him and he got a little to close for comfort. I saw this bridge last year and it wasn't open. There is a strong possibility that there were unseen obstacles in the way that contributed to his death.

 

[Taskforce88]

Lots of deep pools along the River Orchy. The Glen Orchy road is one possible route he could have taken.

 

[william tell]

Lots of deep pools along the River Orchy. The Glen Orchy road is one possible route he could have taken.

I think the bridge at Eas Urchaidh plays a significant part in all this...If the police say they searched all of the Allt Kinglass then i must work on the theory that he took the other alternative route. I am applying this same knowledge to this route and by coincidence it fits this route as well.(uncannily) I was so sure it was the old military road as well but on inspecting the river and layout, i had my doubts. But glen orchy leaves me with no doubt in able to hide a bike and him in it.

 

[Sjm_qc]

I’m hauling the below link out of oblivion, to illustrate:
a) how relying on LE to conduct exhaustive searches isn’t necessarily going to give results;
&
b) how tenacious friends, volunteers & WSers can/do succeed with “boots on the ground” where LE didn’t.

Found Deceased - UK - Susan McLean, 61, U.S. tourist, Aberfeldy, Scotland, 17 May 2015

AND, I think I’ve mentioned this previously on this thread: Tony’s remains are probably not very far from last known/putative route, possibly or probably in an area already searched.

 

[Atoz]

I’m hauling the below link out of oblivion, to illustrate:
a) how relying on LE to conduct exhaustive searches isn’t necessarily going to give results;
&
b) how tenacious friends, volunteers & WSers can/do succeed with “boots on the ground” where LE didn’t.

Found Deceased - UK - Susan McLean, 61, U.S. tourist, Aberfeldy, Scotland, 17 May 2015

AND, I think I’ve mentioned this previously on this thread: Tony’s remains are probably not very far from last known/putative route, possibly or probably in an area already searched.

That link cannot be shared enough.

 

[Taskforce88]

I’m hauling the below link out of oblivion, to illustrate:
a) how relying on LE to conduct exhaustive searches isn’t necessarily going to give results;
&
b) how tenacious friends, volunteers & WSers can/do succeed with “boots on the ground” where LE didn’t.

Found Deceased - UK - Susan McLean, 61, U.S. tourist, Aberfeldy, Scotland, 17 May 2015

AND, I think I’ve mentioned this previously on this thread: Tony’s remains are probably not very far from last known/putative route, possibly or probably in an area already searched.

I very much agree. I am confident he will be found at some point, I am fairly certain he will be found not too far from the 'search area'.

 

[william tell]

I’m hauling the below link out of oblivion, to illustrate:
a) how relying on LE to conduct exhaustive searches isn’t necessarily going to give results;
&
b) how tenacious friends, volunteers & WSers can/do succeed with “boots on the ground” where LE didn’t.

Found Deceased - UK - Susan McLean, 61, U.S. tourist, Aberfeldy, Scotland, 17 May 2015

AND, I think I’ve mentioned this previously on this thread: Tony’s remains are probably not very far from last known/putative route, possibly or probably in an area already searched.

I very much agree. I am confident he will be found at some point, I am fairly certain he will be found not too far from the 'search area'.

The police have given up so only nature or another's intervention will find him. I think the pertinent question is "how far down the river has his body travelled?". I am going biking there around a weeks time and i am going to look at all possibilities.

 

[Sjm_qc]

The police have given up so only nature or another's intervention will find him. I think the pertinent question is "how far down the river has his body travelled?". I am going biking there around a weeks time and i am going to look at all possibilities.

I’ll defer to your local knowledge, and thank you for still looking for Tony, but will also add that this may be one of the (few) cases where I think “He’s in the water” may not apply.

 

[william tell]

watch this space....

 

[william tell]

the eureka moment has finally arrived. I now know exactly what happened to him....my diligence has finally paid off. it was a case of applying all my clues to the CORRECT route.

 

[Taskforce88]

the eureka moment has finally arrived. I now know exactly what happened to him....my diligence has finally paid off. it was a case of applying all my clues to the CORRECT route.

So Glen Orchy route it was? Fell in the Orchy and was swept away until he was stuck underneath, or was he (unlikely?) swept all the way down to Loch Awe to a popular fishing spot?

 

[Tripod]

the eureka moment has finally arrived. I now know exactly what happened to him....my diligence has finally paid off. it was a case of applying all my clues to the CORRECT route.

Please elaborate? Following, and bump for Anthony!

 

[william tell]

It goes like this. I am of the opinion that he cycled for 37 mins then disaster for him struck.
The question is why did he only cycle for that amount of time 37 mins? If you you take the glen road you will come to the recently re built bridge in that time.but why he ended in the water is a mystery.
But i found another route. At the back of the hotel is a path used by the foresters. This follows the orchy on the opposite bank. If you google it it terminates after 37 mins of cycling. I think he was fed the wrong information by the foreign hotel worker.
So after 37 mins he hits a dead end attempts to cross the river somehow . He is on a hill and the bike runs away from him, resulting in him entering the water to his death. This area has red sand banks that is easily seen by google maps. I think he drifted. I have just returned from that area but the weather was atrocious and scuppered my plans for looking for him.
I cycled the potential route and it has now been lengthened and now leads to the re built bridge.
so i think this version has credence as i have a strong motive for him trying to cross the river.
I will have to go back up when the weather improves.

 

[touch]

The Police said that he left the Bridge of Orchy Hotel heading south towards Tyndrum.

Ongoing enquiries have established a new confirmed sighting of Tony at 2330hrs on 29th September at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel. He left that area headed south, in the direction of Tyndrum.

It doesn't specifically say he stayed on the A82 but I think it's implied. To get across the bridge at the back of the hotel, he'd need to head north for a short distance from the hotel before turning onto the small road which crosses the bridge - that doesn't seem to fit in with the witness description.
There's also an unconfirmed sighting of him on the A82 from a lorry driver about half a mile south of the hotel.