UK UK - Finnian Layland-Stratfield, 17, walking towards cliffs, Tintagel, 8 July 2017

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Finnian Layland-Stratfield, 17, from Tintagel, was last seen near the town's youth hostel by a walker on Saturday, July 8, between 6pm and 6.30pm.He was also spotted on a local pub's CCTV footage.

The following day at 5.30pm a rucksack containing some of his personal belongings were located on cliffs above Hole Beach in Tintagel.

16100938-large.jpg


http://www.cornwalllive.com/tintage...0473189-detail/story.html#yvUIrX9wJLwzkSy9.99
 
According to the local tide tables, evening high tide that day was at 18.40, with a height of 6.90m.

High Tide: 06:20
Height:6.60m

Low Tide: 11:44
Height:1.70m

High Tide: 18:40
Height:
6.90m

Low Tide: 00:03
Height:1.70m

https://www.tidetimes.co.uk/boscastle-tide-times-20170708

If he took his rucksack off to, say, take a photo, he could easily have slipped over the edge of the cliff and his body been swept out to sea. It's worth noting that high tide comes right up to the base of the cliffs there.

http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=20...+Beach,+Cornwall&searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf

For those not familiar with OS mapping, the solid black line behind the beach represents the High Water mark.

This is a very rocky coast. Depending on what was at the bottom of the cliff at that point, he would either have landed on flat rock (and been killed) or in the water crashing against the foot of the cliff (and either drowned or killed by being beaten against the rocks). At high tide there is no way he could have either climbed up the cliff or walked round on the rocks to somewhere he could have scaled the cliff.

If he fell from the cliffs between 18.00 and 18.30 he or his body would have been almost immediately taken out to sea when the tide turned at 18.40.
 
Very local to me, this coast is dramatic but also very dangerous.
A local lad who would be aware of the dangers but the edges of the cliffs here can be unpredictable.
As he left his rucksack I am just hoping this could be a dreadful accident.
Thoughts with his family.

will add that in the holiday season there are more accidents - often fatal - involving people being washed off rocks when fishing or just sunbathing. Sadly the sea remains an unrecognised force to many.
 
Nothing heard yet of this poor lad. Posters are up in all local shops/offices and are also displayed at local footpaths so the influx of holidaymakers would be aware.

Thanks for very informative post from MelmothTheLost above.
Hope for the best but expecting the worst.
 
His father and his partner told Cornwall Live what happened on the day Finn was last seen. At the time, Finn was living with his father and Ms Brown in Marshgate, near Boscastle.

“On the Saturday, I dropped him to Tintagel at about 5.30pm,” Ms Brown said. “He told us he was going to see his mate, but no arrangements had actually been made. “He was seen in a pub in Tintagel, where he had four double rums. He went to the toilet, and all this was caught on CCTV. “Then he was caught on camera going out of the pub and down Vicarage Hill toward the church. He was seen by a man walking towards the cliffs, at a fair old pace, at about 6.30pm. He seemed OK. Within 15 minutes, his phone went dead.

“The way he cuddled his dad so much when he said goodbye to him, and leaned over in the car and cuddled me goodbye; normally it would be a quick peck on the cheek.

“When you look back on it, it figures completely. It makes so much sense. "About 15 minutes before his phone went dead he also messaged his best friend saying, 'bye, bro'."

As well as the note, Mr Layland says a lighter and a boot belonging to Finn were also discovered.

“A metre or two below the cliff where they think he jumped they found a lighter, which was confirmed as his, through DNA,” he said.

“They also found a boot at Wanson Mouth, just to the south of Widemouth Bay, on September 22, a day before his 18th birthday. That has been identified as his by family.”

http://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/missing-finnian-layland-stratfields-father-660584
 
I just hope Finnian's remains are found if this is what has occurred in this case. The sea will eventually give up the lost but it has been so long now and there are so many very small bays in the area.
Thoughts with family, so tragic .
 
I have just seen a missing persons poster on Facebook from a friend who lives in Cornwall about poor Finnian. It's so heartbreaking to think he took his own life and that 2 yrs on, his body has not been found yet. RIP Finnian, I hope they find you soon.
 
A dated article discusses Finn's mom continued search. Hopefully she'll someday get the answer she needs.
Mum says she will never give up hope two years after son disappeared
15:10, 25 JUN 2019 UPDATED15:12, 25 JUN 2019

The mum of a Cornish teenager who disappeared almost two years ago says she will “never give up hope”.

Snip

Last year Finn’s father said he accepted that Finn has taken his own life. He spoke out about the tragic situation in a bid to raise awareness of drug abuse among adolescents.

Meanwhile, Finn’s mother Bek Stratfield says she will never give up hope that her son is still alive. She is now planning a walk to mark the anniversary of Finn’s disappearance and to raise funds for the charity Missing People.

Snip

“I never give up hope that Finn will be found, that has been a massive motivator for me over the last two years. I have made many people aware of the issues around missing people in the south west, and I have found that has really changed people’s response. Social media has helped with that enormously.”
 
List of people currently reported as missing in Cornwall
  • 06:00, 18 AUG 2019
1_FinnianLaylandStratfield.jpg

FINN LAYLAND-STRATFIELD
DETAILS: Finn was last seen near Tintagel's youth hostel by a walker. He was also spotted on a local pub's CCTV footage.

The following day a rucksack containing some of his personal belongings were located on cliffs above Hole Beach.

AGE AT DISAPPEARANCE: 17

MISSING SINCE: 6pm on Saturday, July 8, 2017

MISSING FROM: TINTAGEL

REFERENCE: Devon and Cornwall Police, 17-004023
 
Cornwall's most mysterious unsolved cases of the decade
  • 4 JAN 2020
Finnian Layland-Stratfield
July 2017
Finnian Layland-Stratfield, 17, was last seen near Tintagel's youth hostel by a walker on the evening of Saturday, July 8, 2017.

The following day at around 5.30pm a rucksack containing some of his personal belongings, including a note, were located on cliffs above Hole Beach in Tintagel.

Finn's mum Rebecca has never given up hope that her son will be found.

But his father, John Layland, said he was told by police that proactive searches for Finn had ceased and that it is his belief that his son took his own life.

Mr Layland also disclosed that a note, written by Finn, was found in the rucksack above the cliffs.

“It’s my opinion, and the police’s opinion, that Finn has taken his own life,” Mr Layland said.

“The police told me, right from the beginning, that they thought this. However they had to go through the natural process.

“We had a meeting and we were told by the police that they will keep the case open, because officially he’s still missing. But proactive searches have now ceased.

“Out of respect for others I have waited for this moment before making my statement.

“What I want to emphasise is that I don’t want to upset anyone, I just want to put across the facts, and it’s up to people then to make up their own mind.

“I want to put Finn to rest and make some form of closure."

In a statement, a spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed at the time that the proactive searches for Finn had ceased.

The spokesman said: “The family is aware that following extensive searches by both the police and members of the public, we have only been able to locate items belonging to Finnian, who himself remains missing; we have no current active leads in this investigation.

“In the case of Finnian, as with all missing people within Devon and Cornwall, they will remain as an active missing person and the investigation will remain open, until a person is either found safe and well or a body is located.

“However, proactive searches have now ceased, but any new information or sightings will of course be investigated.

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Finnian during this difficult time.”
 
I saw a "6-years-missing" post on SM for Finn. My heart goes out to his parents.
 
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