The devastated family of a man who vanished on Hogmanay say he is now “presumed dead” over fears he fell into the Firth of Forth river.
Dean Conner was last seen in the Links Avenue area of Musselburgh, East Lothian, at around 5pm on December 31.
The 37-year-old was walking in the direction of the Promenade - close to his home - but has failed to make contact with his worried loved ones since.
Step-dad Gary Finnie has now issued a heartbreaking update in the case and said the police search had sadly come to an end after all avenues were exhausted.
Posting on social media, he wrote: “It is with a very heavy heart we received the news today that the police have come to an end of their hunt for our boy having exhausted all avenues with no success.
“As Dean has not been seen on any CCTV, or anywhere else with no use of phone or bank cards since leaving his house in the direction of the Promenade (only 30m away) there is a heavy suspicion that he somehow ended up in the Firth of Forth.
“Even though extensive air & sea searches have been carried out on both the east coast and Fife assisted by the oceanographer, there has been no sighting of any evidence to confirm this.
“But this is still the main thought. Dean is now officially recorded as ‘missing, presumed dead’.
“The case will remain open but no further action will be taken unless further evidence is presented.
“Clearly this is a big milestone for us and being devastated doesn't cover how we feel.
“We are taking this news on board and accepting the fact it is a good possibility of what might have happened but are always aware that there are also other possibilities.
“Perhaps what happened will come to light one day or maybe we will never know. A very sad day that will haunt us forever.”
We previously told how a second Scots family faced similar heartbreak after police determined their missing loved one was seen entering the same river.
Alice Byrne’s disappearance sparked a major police investigation after the 28-year-old failed to return from a New Year’s party.
In a fresh update on Thursday, Police Scotland confirmed they believe Alice entered the water alone however no body has been recovered.
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