The family of an Irishman who went missing in California while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail have marked five years since his disappearance.
David O’Sullivan, from Midleton, County Cork, was 25 when he set out to hike the long-distance trail, a journey of 2,653 miles along the western coast of America stretching from the Mexican border to Canada.
He had been inspired to do the trek after reading the book ‘Wild’ by Cheryl Strayed, which also became a film starring Reese Witherspoon.
David had recently graduated from University College Cork with a degree in English and Philosophy and had saved up money for the adventure by working in a local garage in Midleton.
He last made contact with his family via email on April 6, 2017 in Idyllwild in Riverside County, a stopping point along the Pacific Crest Trail, and also posted a package from the town’s post office.
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The amateur hiker was about two-and-a-half weeks along the trail and according to trail reports from the time, there was three-feet of snow in the mountains on the next stage of his journey.
David was due to meet a friend in Santa Barbara in early May but did not show up which raised concerns for his safety.
His family filed a missing person report in Ireland on June 30, 2017 and he was officially listed as a missing person in the US on July 17.
Despite fearing the worst, David’s family have been over and back to California on a number of occasions to continue the search for their missing son who would now be 30-years-old.
His mother, Carmel O’Sullivan, told Ryan Tubridy on his radio show in 2018 that she believes her son died from a fall or from hypothermia.
When asked if she thinks her son is still alive, she said: “No, I’m afraid I don’t.
“He’s a year gone and there’s no activity in his bank account and he certainly wouldn’t have disappeared, he’s a very loyal child. He wouldn’t do this to us.”
A recent post on David O'Sullivan's missing person Facebook group said that there are still ongoing efforts to find him.
The post reads: “Today marks 5 years since David left Idyllwild, a small mountain town along the PCT where many hikers, including David, stop to rest and resupply.
“David emailed home the night before saying he was excited to return to the PCT and get on with his journey toward Canada.
“What happened to David, on April 7th, 2017, is the question on everyone's mind. It's been a heartbreaking 5 years for David's family, friends, and loved ones who are so very far away.
“Our search efforts continue later this month as we have not given up our efforts to locate David. Our goal is to bring David back to Ireland, and to his family. (We're still looking for you David!)
“Please join me in a small moment of silence for David and his family.”
