The mother of missing student Jack O’Sullivan has said ‘every day is a living hell’ as his desperate family mark a year since he vanished after a house party.
The 23-year-old has not been since since March 2 last year when he attended a house in Bristol with some friends, but never came home.
His phone’s last known activity was after 6am in the vicinity of Cumberland Basin and Hotwells, and there has been no activity on his bank account since.
Jack texted his mother at 1.52am to say he was safe and planned to get a taxi and left the party an hour later, without saying goodbye to his friend who was having a cigarette outside.
His mother Catherine O’Sullivan previously said she is contacted ‘every day’ she receives information from people – including psychics – about where to look for the Bristol student.
But she aired her frustration at the police as she accused them of not following up on potential sightings of her son.
Now, she has spoken on the anniversary of his disappearance to say the family is still ‘stuck on March 2, 2024’ – the day he vanished.
She told The Mirror: ‘We have no evidence to suggest Jack is no longer with us and no information to say where he is. I’m stuck on March 2 2024. It’s hard to explain how we are feeling. The world stops – and it only gets more painful, not less.’
‘In my heart I have to believe we’ll find him. I don’t know what mother would write their child off without evidence to prove it. I’m not giving up yet.’
Last month, the police called her to say a body washed up on a South Wales beach.
Catherine said ‘we really did think it was Jack’ because the description fitted so well.
It took six days to get confirmation that it wasn’t him. ‘That was the worst six days of our lives.’
previously revealed that the University of Exeter graduate, who had moved back to Bristol for the law course, went to a party on Hotwell Road, but at one point tumbled down the stairs and hit his head.
When a random partygoer joked about him having too much to drink, Jack shoved him in a brief clash, but this did not go further.
His family said police told them they were unable to help analyse his phone records but they finally convinced EE to release due to data protection laws.
Police said that since Jack’s disappearance, more than 20 different teams and departments have been involved in the investigation.
Last year it said more than 100 hours of CCTV have been reviewed, 200 hours of searches on the river and the surrounding banks, mounted police searches from Bristol city centre to Flax Bourton, 40 land searches, and 16 drone deployments.
Assistant Chief Constable for Avon and Somerset Police Joanne Hall said: ‘Do you remember what you were doing that cold, snowy day in March 2024?
‘You may recall seeing something which, on the surface, seemed unimportant, but may be an important piece of information for us to know. Do you remember seeing anything on your journey, whether you were walking in the area or travelling on the roads.
‘Our investigation has been extensive, with resources utilised from more than 30 different teams and organisations, including support from colleagues within the fire service, HM Coastguard and the National Police Air Service (NPAS).
‘This includes seeking independent advice, support and guidance from experts at the National Crime Agency, an experienced Police Search Advisor from a neighbouring force and an independent oceanographer.
‘We have kept an open mind throughout this investigation and regularly review our various hypotheses around Jack’s disappearance. We ask you again to please, cast your mind back to this time last year and think about any details which may help us.’