UK UK - Alice Byrne, 28, last seen around 2am after beach party, Portobello, Edinburgh, 1 Jan 2022

[Highlander1314]

Yeah sorry I meant different division not different force.

Craigmillar is edinburgh not Midlothian though; LA wise. It gets confusing cos Edinburgh is then classed as Midlothian as its county but they're 2 different LAs.

Learning everyday! Yes, Edinburgh not Midlothian.

Edinburgh City is it’s own Division, with 4 area commands;

NE, NW, SE, SW.

 

[Highlander1314]

Yeah sorry I meant different division not different force.

Craigmillar is edinburgh not Midlothian though; LA wise. It gets confusing cos Edinburgh is then classed as Midlothian as its county but they're 2 different LAs.

In case anyone is reading;

Dean Conner from Musselburgh police station, East Lothian.
Alice Byrne from Craigmillar police station, Edinburgh.

All overseen by Police Scotland, since 2013.
Different stations, 2 different divisions, same police force.

 

[RobinCAL]

Sadly the ending that wasn't the most surprising but so sad all around. I hope her family can find some peace. So many lost to water over the past year. It's awful .

 

[RusselSprout]

It's very sad, for Alice and Dean. Will they continue searching to recover the bodies? I'm finding it difficult to accept, without a body, can't imagine how their family and friends are feeling.

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

Police investigating the disappearance of a woman who has been missing since New Year's Day believe she "entered the water alone".

Alice Byrne, 28, was last seen leaving a friend's flat in Marlborough Street in Portobello, Edinburgh, between 08:00 and 10:00 on 1 January.

Officers previously said it was believed she headed in the direction of the promenade and beach.

The force said efforts to trace Ms Byrne were continuing.

Last month, the care worker's family said they had been left "shocked and distressed" by her disappearance, which was described at the time as out of character.

Detectives said efforts to trace Ms Byrne had included house-to-house inquiries and extensive CCTV reviews.

Alice Byrne: Woman missing since New Year's Day 'entered water alone'

 

[MissUnderstood]

Did she leave the house alone? Who saw her leave? No one saw her on the street? No one saw her at the beach? No one saw her enter the water? How do they know she went in the water alone? I’m assuming there is info we don’t know.

 

[Allabouttrial]

With family statement

Edinburgh police give heartbreaking update on missing Alice Byrne

From your link.

.......
In an emotional message on social media, Alice's family thanked the police and public, adding that they have been "devastated" by the news.

A post read: "Firstly, thank you to all the family, friends, neighbours and strangers who've supported us and helped spread the message about Alice. You'll never know what this means to us.

"Secondly, a thanks to the police who have been professional and supportive from the very beginning of all this. They do far, far more than people realise and we have full confidence in everything they've done. Their investigation is ongoing and they continue to support us.

"We've been astounded by the support and motivation to help, from all across the world. That means a lot to us. We know that Alice was loved, that people really do care and wanted to help us find her. We also know that the police have followed up on every lead reported and every potential sighting.
.......

 

[MimosaMornings]

Did she leave the house alone? Who saw her leave? No one saw her on the street? No one saw her at the beach? No one saw her enter the water? How do they know she went in the water alone? I’m assuming there is info we don’t know.

Eyewitness? CCTV?

 

[happyday]

Eyewitness? CCTV?

Usually they say something like, " CCTV footage shows her entering the water alone..." So it makes me think it must be witness accounts. Not real definitive for me since eyewitness accounts are unreliable. Unless they knew her personally they're probably just thinking they saw someone who looked like her pictures entering the water? Hmmmm.

 

[Highlander1314]

Usually they say something like, " CCTV footage shows her entering the water alone..." So it makes me think it must be witness accounts. Not real definitive for me since eyewitness accounts are unreliable. Unless they knew her personally they're probably just thinking they saw someone who looked like her pictures entering the water? Hmmmm.

The water is quite cold at Portobello, even in summer. People free swimming tend to wear wetsuits or take their clothes off and have a quick dip, back out to dry off. There are not so many of these swimmers to make it usual, they’re still a novelty, freeswimmers almost always attach a float and keep close to shore. The ones mostly bareskinned, they standout.

If someone was eyewitness, they would have seen a woman alone, walking into water with her clothes on and then swim off or left clothes on the beach (to be noticed). Either way as an eyewitness this would have been unusual.

 

[Ironside]

Did she leave the house alone? Who saw her leave? No one saw her on the street? No one saw her at the beach? No one saw her enter the water? How do they know she went in the water alone? I’m assuming there is info we don’t know.

There are guidelines on how suicides are reported. The media need to be sensitive to the family and also can’t go into much detail as it could give people ideas on how to do it.

Samaritans' media guidelines for reporting suicide

The general public are never going to get all the details the police have.

 

[Highlander1314]

Did she leave the house alone? Who saw her leave? No one saw her on the street? No one saw her at the beach? No one saw her enter the water? How do they know she went in the water alone? I’m assuming there is info we don’t know.

To highlight the wording used;

Alice Byrne – family acknowledge love and support from the community

Our enquiries have subsequently indicated that Alice entered the water alone

subsequently indicated


Edinburgh police give heartbreaking update on missing Alice Byrne

Their [police] investigation is ongoing

 

[happyday]

The water is quite cold at Portobello, even in summer. People free swimming tend to wear wetsuits or take their clothes off and have a quick dip, back out to dry off. There are not so many of these swimmers to make it usual, they’re still a novelty, freeswimmers almost always attach a float and keep close to shore. The ones mostly bareskinned, they standout.

If someone was eyewitness, they would have seen a woman alone, walking into water with her clothes on and then swim off or left clothes on the beach (to be noticed). Either way as an eyewitness this would have been unusual.

Makes sense.

 

[porkypies]

The water is quite cold at Portobello, even in summer. People free swimming tend to wear wetsuits or take their clothes off and have a quick dip, back out to dry off. There are not so many of these swimmers to make it usual, they’re still a novelty, freeswimmers almost always attach a float and keep close to shore. The ones mostly bareskinned, they standout.

If someone was eyewitness, they would have seen a woman alone, walking into water with her clothes on and then swim off or left clothes on the beach (to be noticed). Either way as an eyewitness this would have been unusual.

If I recall correctly, she has been described as wearing black clothing, legs and top. If so she would have looked like someone wearing a black wetsuit.

 

[Highlander1314]

If I recall correctly, she has been described as wearing black clothing, legs and top. If so she would have looked like someone wearing a black wetsuit.

From a distance, could have. Did she leave her hoodie at the apartment? Bare arms? Clothes blowing in the 24mph wind? Entered the water with shoes on?

All the wetsuiters at Portobello wear a 1 piece wetsuit which is tight to the body, swimming cap and goggles. Usually with a float.

The tide was out at 7am, then turning quite quickly. There would still be a stretch of sand to cover to reach the sea. Slight clouds, some breaks of sunshine.

It’s still a novelty to see people going for a swim at Portobello. If the beach was quiet which it would have been, anything else moving would be exposed and noted.

 

[porkypies]

From a distance, could have. Did she leave her hoodie at the apartment? Bare arms? Clothes blowing in the 24mph wind? Entered the water with shoes on?

All the wetsuiters at Portobello wear a 1 piece wetsuit which is tight to the body, swimming cap and goggles. Usually with a float.

The tide was out at 7am, then turning quite quickly. There would still be a stretch of sand to cover to reach the sea. Slight clouds, some breaks of sunshine.

It’s still a novelty to see people going for a swim at Portobello. If the beach was quiet which it would have been, anything else moving would be exposed and noted.

The Edinburgh wild swimming guide - Swim Sky Breathe

 

[porkypies]

The Edinburgh wild swimming guide - Swim Sky Breathe

Contrary to Highlander 1314 saying that it's a novelty to see people swimming at Portabello, the site above says that it's been the 'go to' swimming place 'for decades.'
Public would not know whether a wetsuit had long or short arms.
She was not necessarily wearing clothes that would blow in the wind.
All wetsuiters do not wear or use the same gear/hats/floats.
Many wetsuiters and other wild swimmers wear shoes in the water.
Feet cannot be seen once a person is walking/wading out in the water.
Whatever else she might have been wearing could have been left on the beach or anywhere else for that matter.
I don't think the clouds or sunshine would have made a difference.

 

[Highlander1314]

The Edinburgh wild swimming guide - Swim Sky Breathe

Contrary to Highlander 1314 saying that it's a novelty to see people swimming at Portabello, the site above says that it's been the 'go to' swimming place 'for decades.'
Public would not know whether a wetsuit had long or short arms.
She was not necessarily wearing clothes that would blow in the wind.
All wetsuiters do not wear or use the same gear/hats/floats.
Many wetsuiters and other wild swimmers wear shoes in the water.
Feet cannot be seen once a person is walking/wading out in the water.
Whatever else she might have been wearing could have been left on the beach or anywhere else for that matter.
I don't think the clouds or sunshine would have made a difference.

Your description loosely suggests ‘no-one on the beach knows what they’re looking at, no-one knows anything’.

It’s spelled Portobello.

It’s definitely still enough of a novelty for people to look and watch when freeswimmers go in the water, because people do, they stand and watch.

It is normal for wetsuiters at Portobello to wear full wetsuits, the water is cold. Sure, not all use the same gear, that was never the point, but they do have a recognisable look about them and swim parallel and close to the beach line. Not perpendicular to the beach, away from shore.

The shoes mention is about being visually noticeable on her feet on the beach, not about being in the water.

Exactly, we don’t know about her clothes at all. So far no mention of anything being found on the beach, even from the very beginning. Not even footwear.

The wind coming from the SSW at 24mph, on a person’s back and walking to the water, and sunshine or clouds, the tide on its way in to shore, air and water temperature all make a difference to conditions.

JMO

 

[Highlander1314]

If I recall correctly, she has been described as wearing black clothing, legs and top. If so she would have looked like someone wearing a black wetsuit.

Could have not would have.

 

[Beans]

Can only assume they must’ve been given some fairly solid photo or video footage, or someone that hadn’t seen the news reports about her disappearance eventually found out about it and was able to provide an eye witness statement. Edinburgh is a popular destination for visitors at Hogmanay and there were plenty of tourists this year, even with less organised events on etc. Maybe an eye witness who was only visiting briefly and hadn’t seen the news?

If it was nearer 10am the beach would have been busier and there would be more photos and video taken by spectators. Maybe it just took this amount of time to find something that showed her in background. Given the comments about a “range of evidence” it’s possible they don’t have 100% proof of her actually entering the water but reason to believe she was headed that way. Photos showing someone who looked like her near the edge, photos at same time showing someone who could be her in water or similar.

It was the Loony Dook - people getting into the water fully dressed wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary.

It’s very sad but it’s probably the outcome that most people expected. Without finding her, it’s still not really the closure or certainty her loved ones will need. Maybe the Forth will give her back sometime.