The family of a Celtic fan who disappeared in Spain a year ago have expressed their sadness at losing hope of finding their loved one.
Gary Watson Shearer arrived at the Puerto del Carmen resort on March 16, 2023, to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
The 53-year-old man was last seen in the early hours of the next morning and failed to join the flight home a week later.
We previously reported in August 2023 that authorities wanted to speak to a mystery man who was last seen on CCTV walking with a fan on March 17, 2023.
Now, exactly a year after Gary’s disappearance, his heartbroken sister Debbie Shearer said the family “have to accept” they will not get any “answers” in the case.
He said: “I think we have to accept that we won’t get any answers.
“Last year we were in limbo and we always had a glimmer of hope thinking that something would come out, evidence or something like that.
“But a year later, we have given up all hope of getting any answers.”
Explaining how difficult the last year was for the family, the 49-year-old actor said it was a ‘nightmare’.
“I can’t even describe the emotions we experienced minute by minute throughout the day – anger, disappointment, heartache, crying, everything,” Debbie said.
“It’s been a long year, but not until Mother’s Day, which is the first anniversary, and when we say ‘it’s been almost a year,’ things like that come up.”
“However, when you live day to day, it seems like the days just fly by because you’re always thinking about Gary and where he might be or what’s going on.”
The heartbroken sister also revealed that her brother’s disappearance had a ‘huge impact’ on her family’s daily life.
Debbie said: “It’s had a huge impact. Everything we do we constantly think about Gary and where he might be and then the frustration and anger sets in as we don’t get answers from anywhere.”
Also speaking Glasgow TimesGary’s mother Ann McMurray said: “We are heartbroken and want to bring him home and find out what happened to him.
“I use sleeping pills, pills to calm me down, and I haven’t had a good night’s sleep for the past year.
“I’m completely heartbroken. We were so close as a family. We miss him so much.”
“We just want to know what happened to Gary, not knowing is what kills us. Trying to get through each day is really bad.”
Debbie said her mother and sister, Nikki, were going to the island this weekend to mark the one-year anniversary of Gary’s disappearance.
He said: “They are flying on the anniversary on Sunday and have a meeting with the Spanish police on Wednesday, but we are not expecting any further news or updates because we have not heard anything from them.”
Following the meeting, the devastated woman said the pair would aim to spread Gary’s story as much as possible.
“They will also be refreshing the posters, distributing them and spreading the word about Gary’s story as much as possible.
“They’re hoping to refresh people’s memories of last year because not everyone is on social media and a lot of those people are going to St. Patrick’s Day, so we’re hoping that maybe more evidence will come to light or people will search on social media to go back to the memories they had last year and find Gary in them.” discover.
However, when they return from the island, they will vacate Gary’s apartment.
“We are heartbroken. “When my mom and sister get back the next step is to clear out Gary’s apartment and I think that’s when it will dawn on us that he’s not coming back,” said Debbie.
Since our last conversation Glasgow Times In December 2023, Debbie revealed that the family had received no updates on the investigation.
He said: “This does not exist in our eyes because we get no response, there is nothing, there is no communication, there is nothing.”
After his disappearance last year, Spanish police carried out a search in the area in June.
However, we previously reported that this search was unsuccessful.
The much-loved football fan disappeared outside Bar 67 in Puerto del Carmen, but CCTV cameras show him lying unconscious in a shop door next to the bar at around 1.30am on March 17, 2023.
Gary’s loved ones had also previously flown to the resort to conduct their own search.
The Renfrew man was last seen wearing a Celtic shirt, shorts and white Nike trainers with green and yellow glitter.
A UK Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain and are in contact with local authorities.”
The Spanish Guardia Civil has been contacted for comment.