Found Deceased Germany - Liam Colgan, 29, Scottish tourist, Hamburg, 10 Feb 2018

[cybervampira]

Since Liam was the one to make all the stag arrangements, is it possible he had some kind of surprise event that he slipped out from the club to arrange?
Wondering if he knew that everyone was about to leave and that is why he left the bar first, or if people left because Liam left?

Judging by the last text messages Liam sent to Eamonn, Liam already expected they would all get VERY drunk that night. I think he would have planned any surprise events for the early evening or the next day and not late at night when he expected everyone being blotto. But anything is possible... Knowing that he tried to enter an office building and fell down twice, I think he was simply intoxicated and lost orientation.

As to leaving the place: From what I‘ve read, the group had split up already. They were at different places earlier on (brewery/dinner and a cocktail bar where they got straw hats). That‘s why nobody was worried when Liam wasn‘t outside the Veermaster. They thought he probably left to join the others at a different place.

 

[Cherry]

I'm not feeling the love from the authorities. He must be found. Search and rescue divers need to search more. I Remember (can't forget) how easily Blaze's body was either overlooked or hidden after the fact.

Edited to add: How much cash was he carrying? Did he have any prior beef w anyone at the event?

 

[cybervampira]

I'm not feeling the love from the authorities. He must be found. Search and rescue divers need to search more. I Remember (can't forget) how easily Blaze's body was either overlooked or hidden after the fact.

Edited to add: How much cash was he carrying? Did he have any prior beef w anyone at the event?

When they had divers searching for Timo Kraus in the Elbe last year, they at least had a ping location from his cell phone close to a ship. They searched with 18 divers and couldn‘t find him. At this time, it wasn‘t nearly as cold as it is now (we currently have an arctic blast with temperatures around 10 degrees Fahrenheit in Hamburg and it has been freezing cold for weeks). Timo Kraus‘ body was found 11 weeks after he drowned. I understand water guards have been searching river and canals for Liam but what can they do more? The water is murky, the river has a heavy drift, it is huge, there is heavy maritime traffic and there are dozens of canals and they don‘t even know where to start.

Images from divers during the Timo Kraus search
I‘m not a diver but considering weather conditions, drift, underwater vision and the sheer size of the river, finding a drowned body must be like finding a needle in a haystack.

Maybe there‘s someone here who has some experience with diving and can answer how difficult it is under these circumstances?

I think his brother said he only had his credit card and „little cash“ with him. If I remember right, the staff at Veermaster said Liam was very inebriated and they had to bring him to the right table because he tried to sit down somewhere else but no beefing at all. Sounds like he was really out of it.

 

[rosesfromangels]

With regards to the bride?

Yes

Amateur speculation and opinion only

 

[RosalindaA]

Cybervampira, your pictures really bring the reality home. I've no experience of diving but it really is exceptionally cold over here in Europe, I am in very southern England and I can't remember seeing as much snow since I was a child. And the areas of water in Hamburg are huge and without a reasonable indication that Liam did go into the water (God forbid), it's unlikely that divers would go in, and in these conditions it potentially would put their lives at risk as well.

At least none of the dogs, as far as I know have tracked him to the waterside and that's a positive. Perhaps the scent trails are confused if Liam got in a taxi or picked up a lift somewhere at some point. I know Hamburg used to be quite an industrial city, not sure what it is like now, but possible maybe that he got into some sort of disused factory/building and that's why no-one has come across him yet. I would be double-checking all those sorts of areas. Foul play always possible of course, but I think the level of inebriation and disorientation are the main factors here.

I would be surprised if this turns out to be a voluntary disappearance. At the risk of making a massive generalisation, Scots are a down-to-earth, pretty straight-forward type of people, not known to be overly emotional. Salt of the earth types. Still holding out a bit of hope that Liam will surface somewhere having had a head injury or a bad reaction to the amount of alcohol.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

However, I think the date of the wedding is central to this puzzle. When was it supposed to take place; this coming weekend?

Yes it was, however given the disruption caused by the weather in Scotland at present it's not impossible it would have had to be dramatically scaled back even if it was to go ahead. Travel just is not safe across much of the country. The Central Belt between Edinburgh and Glasgow is under a very rare red warning which indicates a real risk to life.

 

[gregjrichards]

Yes it was, however given the disruption caused by the weather in Scotland at present it's not impossible it would have had to be dramatically scaled back even if it was to go ahead. Travel just is not safe across much of the country. The Central Belt between Edinburgh and Glasgow is under a very rare red warning which indicates a real risk to life.

It is horrendous where I live just outside Glasgow on the way to Edinburgh. We have the worst snow ever recorded. It is so bad the supermarkets are closed and the roads are impossible to drive on.

I’m so sad for Liam’s family and friends they must be going through hell.

 

[Scotland888]

Yes

Amateur speculation and opinion only

https://twitter.com/scottishsun/status/969321190551621632?s=21

it states in this article that Liam had planned to go back to Australia travelling, until the wedding was announced so he put his plans on hold so he could be there.If he didn’t want to be there I’d suggest he would have gone to Australia in the first place.I don’t believe the wedding/bride have anything to do with why he has disappeared, I believe it’s simply a case of being very drunk and getting lost,I still believe he might have got of the train a stop early and that’s why he was sighted on the cctv,I may be wrong but I think the first stop from Reeperbahn on the train isn’t far from where he was seen.Then from there he has lost his bearings

 

[Taskforce88]

So what made him go off on his own? A meeting with someone possibly? Meeting another part of the group? Trying to get back to the accommodation after a fallout?

 

[Scotland888]

So what made him go off on his own? A meeting with someone possibly? Meeting another part of the group? Trying to get back to the accommodation after a fallout?

probably just to go back to the accomadation because he needed his bed, people had been leaving at stages throughout the night,the group was down to 5 by the time Liam left,so 13 people had already had the same idea of heading to bed as Liam did,It has been said Liam was drunker than he normally would be,as were other members of the group,but Liam maybe more so and has simply got lost trying to get back.Could be totally wrong though but that’s my take on it from what I know

 

[Taskforce88]

probably just to go back to the accomadation because he needed his bed, people had been leaving at stages throughout the night,the group was down to 5 by the time Liam left,so 13 people had already had the same idea of heading to bed as Liam did,It has been said Liam was drunker than he normally would be,as were other members of the group,but Liam maybe more so and has simply got lost trying to get back.Could be totally wrong though but that’s my take on it from what I know

Yep, I would say that him heading back to get sleep is most likely.

 

[Scotland888]

Yep, I would say that him heading back to get sleep is most likely.

Id say so,these boys would’ve been up for about 21 hours by the time Liam left the bar,up early for travelling,then the flight itself,Im no expert as I’ve not been to Germany but I’d imagine the pints of German beer there are stronger than your average pint in Scotland’s pubs,they would’ve been shattered and drunk by this point

 

[Taskforce88]

Id say so,these boys would’ve been up for about 21 hours by the time Liam left the bar,up early for travelling,then the flight itself,Im no expert as I’ve not been to Germany but I’d imagine the pints of German beer there are stronger than your average pint in Scotland’s pubs,they would’ve been shattered and drunk by this point

Well the German beer I have drunk is certainly stronger than Tennants

 

[RosalindaA]

Eamonn Colgan speaking to BBC radio http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-43256279

The family are working hard to keep awareness up and I really hope they get some good news soon. And also Eamonn commenting about Liam's future plans and attitude to life https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/ne...colgan-hamburg-stag-do-wedding-eamonn-colgan/

 

[Taskforce88]

So the family thinks that he may have left Hamburg and gone off the radar.

The shop owner that was positive she saw him 4 days after his disappearance said that he looked 'lonely and confused'

Nobody has mentioned if he was feeling low?

 

[dotr]

So the family thinks that he may have left Hamburg and gone off the radar.

The shop owner that was positive she saw him 4 days after his disappearance said that he looked 'lonely and confused'

Nobody has mentioned if he was feeling low?

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-43256279

Eamonn said 29-year-old Liam may be confused about who he is after suffering a head injury.

He said it was possible that Liam could have travelled beyond Hamburg.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland's John Beattie Programme, Eamonn said Liam's family and friends were trying to get their appeal for information spread more widely in Germany.

"There are so many theories that are going through your head. Our latest is that Liam sustained some sort of head injury that has confused him as to who he is and where he is.

"He might not even be aware that he is actually lost."

Eamonn said that, while recognising the police in Hamburg encountered regular instances of people going missing temporarily after nights out in the city, he had felt "mocked" by the officers he dealt with initially.

 

[Taskforce88]

The head injury theory is interesting. Fallen over while drunk, banged head and then wandered off.

Police officers 'mocked' them? hmm, perhaps oversensitive or maybe just got the wrong officers at the wrong time?

 

[cybervampira]

The head injury theory is interesting. Fallen over while drunk, banged head and then wandered off.

Police officers 'mocked' them? hmm, perhaps oversensitive or maybe just got the wrong officers at the wrong time?

I think the problem is that there are people going missing all the time when partying at Reeperbahn. 99,9 % of them reappear. That‘s why Police didn‘t take it seriously at first. I read one of the policemen tried to be funny saying something like „OK, I‘ll go and jump in a helicopter“ having in mind that Liam might be having a great time and will be back soon. Not very sensitive when you speak to people who are very worried but mocking? I don‘t know.

 

[gregjrichards]

Have the homeless hostels in the area been checked? Just trying to think where Liam could be if still with us with no cash and bank cards not used after all this time.

 

[Elainera]

I don't find the head injury theory believable. I mean, I'm no doctor but a head injury that leads to severe confusion, enough that you forget who you are and where you are but are still somehow able to find food and shelter from the cold and have no life threatening further symptoms, seems far fetched. Wouldn't there be other symptoms that would need treatment or they'd get worse?