Missing student's family 'continue to keep hope alive'

The family of a missing student who "vanished into thin air" two years ago say they "continue to keep hope alive" in a desperate hunt for answers.

Jack O'Sullivan, who was 22 at the time of his disappearance, was last seen on 2 March 2024 after attending a house party in the Hotwells area of Bristol.

Despite dive teams combing the river, extensive searches by police and repeated public appeals, no trace of the missing law student has ever been found.

On the second anniversary, his family is urging the public to cast their minds back as they believe someone out there holds the key to solving his disappearance.

On the night he went missing, Jack had attended a birthday party in Hotwells and left at about 02:53 GMT.

Catherine O'Sullivan said she had waited up for her son but fell asleep after receiving a text from him at 01:52, assuring her he would find a lift home.

Jack was captured on various CCTV cameras attempting to stop taxis, but was unsuccessful.

Avon and Somerset Police said the last likely sighting of him was at 03:38 GMT when he was walking along Bennett Way slip road, heading towards the city centre.

"I've seen the areas that Jack was walking in and I know there are other people in that area," his mother told the BBC.

"I'm not for one minute suggesting he has come to harm from another person, but I think it would have been impossible for someone not to have noticed something with the volume of traffic that travels through, even at three or four in the morning.

"It could be that somebody has inadvertently seen something and not realised the significance, even after all this time.

"He's just vanished into thin air. I genuinely feel that somebody does know something."

A Facebook group launched as part of the search for Jack has surpassed 103,000 members and sees a flurry of new posts every day.

Ben O'Sullivan, Jack's older brother, has said this continued spotlight is what keeps his family optimistic they will one day find answers.

"Until we get clarity on what happened, it doesn't feel right to just roll over and accept that Jack's not here," he said.

"These [anniversary] landmarks, for me, are insignificant when we're looking at the bigger picture we're trying to solve here."

Catherine has said that "hope is the key word in all of this".

"We don't have an answer, but we don't have any evidence to suggest that Jack's gone, other than obviously he's not here," she said.

"We're not giving up and we continue to keep asking questions and raising the profile of Jack. We will continue to keep the hope alive."

Ben said the "cruel" lack of answers weighed on him daily, but he continued to "keep the presence of Jack" in everything he does.

"Whether it be playing or watching sport, socialising or going to the pub – just regular things Jack and I would do," he said.

"It may seem bizarre, but it's the reality and that's how you cope with it.

"To go from doing all these things together to not doing them all of a sudden, it doesn't feel right.

"For over 20 years we've been doing all these things together, so there's no reason for that to change."

Assistant Ch Con Joanne Hall from Avon and Somerset Police has said the force "wholeheartedly recognises" the impact Jack's disappearance continues to have on his loved ones.

"We know how difficult it is for Jack's family that, despite extensive enquiries, we have not yet been able to find him or provide the conclusive answers they so desperately need," she said.

"From the outset we've always had a shared aim of finding Jack and this intention has been at the heart of every action we've taken and decisions we've made."

"Alongside our ongoing investigation, we have also drawn on specialist expertise and independent agencies to review, test and assure our work, ensuring that any further opportunities for enquiry are fully explored," Hall continued.

Hall emphasised that Jack's disappearance remained a live investigation, and urged anyone with information to come forward.

Jack O'Sullivan is described as white, about 5ft 10ins (1.7m), of slim build, with short brown hair.

He was last seen wearing a quilted green-brown Barbour jacket over a beige woollen jumper, with navy chinos and brown leather trainers with white soles.