Found Deceased Germany - Liam Colgan, 29, Scottish tourist, Hamburg, 10 Feb 2018

[MelmothTheLost]

I think recouping the cost of the wedding is the least of their worries right now.

No doubt, but nobody wants to be losing £20k+ on an event as expensive as a wedding.

 

[Elainera]

In all these possible sightings, I'm wondering why no one actually said "Are you Liam?" while they were serving or talking to the person? I think the chances are that most of the sightings are of other people, tourists with similar looks and from English-speaking countries.

If Liam wanted to get away for a while, doing it without money in a country where he can't speak the language doesn't seem very likely

In the cctv stills it looks like Liam tries to go one way and the person helping draws him back to the 'correct' direction, but how did they know which was the right direction to guide him? Has it been reported what was said between them during this encounter? It looks like Liam is listening to the other person saying something to him, so was the other person speaking English to him and were they able to converse at all?

bbm Right? It always irks when there was no attempt to speak to the person or take a picture, call police right away and stay with that person, etc. Of course, we don't know for sure, maybe they did try to talk to the person and the person didn't reply, or they only saw the missing person report later.

The only thing that gives me hope that he's still alive is the report that the dogs picked up Liam's scent in Buxtehude. If he made it to Buxtehude he could have made it elsewhere too. Maybe joined a homeless community, eating in a soup kitchen, etc.

ETA: I wonder how many Germans know how to pronounce his name. I certainly didn't when I moved to the UK in the 90s. I would have pronounced it "lime" or something like that. If someone only sees the report in the papers or online, they might ask a person who resembles Liam whether he is "Lime" and that person would answer "no". (I'm not trying to be funny, I really would have pronounced it like that. Liam isn't a very common name.)

 

[cybervampira]

bbm Right? It always irks when there was no attempt to speak to the person or take a picture, call police right away and stay with that person, etc. Of course, we don't know for sure, maybe they did try to talk to the person and the person didn't reply, or they only saw the missing person report later.

The only thing that gives me hope that he's still alive is the report that the dogs picked up Liam's scent in Buxtehude. If he made it to Buxtehude he could have made it elsewhere too. Maybe joined a homeless community, eating in a soup kitchen, etc.

ETA: I wonder how many Germans know how to pronounce his name. I certainly didn't when I moved to the UK in the 90s. I would have pronounced it "lime" or something like that. If someone only sees the report in the papers or online, they might ask a person who resembles Liam whether he is "Lime" and that person would answer "no". (I'm not trying to be funny, I really would have pronounced it like that. Liam isn't a very common name.)

Nowadays, mothers in Germany often give kids English, Italian, Spanish or Scandinavian names. Liam, Calvin, Fynn, Rory are all common. You hardly find newborns with old-fashioned German names like Wilhelm, Rüdiger or Karl-Heinz. I don‘t think Germans would pronounce it the wrong way, maybe some who try to speak with an over-the-top British pronunciation would say Lyam instead of Liam but a Brit would still understand what is meant, or?

As to the people not talking to Liam, I‘ve read some of them were driving and couldn‘t immediately stop their car, another one was following him but lost him, some others saw someone who looked like Liam and only found out afterwards people are looking for him. And we don‘t hear from all the cases where they did actually ask and it turned out not to be him. I can imagine some red-haired guys in Hamburg are already rolling their eyes when being approached by strangers.

It looks like the family is now expanding the search and is not all that focused on Buxtehude any longer (which I think is a good idea because no single CCTV in Buxtehude captured Liam).

 

[rosesfromangels]

Not being familiar with the area, I was trying to figure out how Liam could get back home. Doesn't look easy at all; a four hour flight at least? How would one hitchhike back...don't you have to take a ferry at some point?
The time passage is becoming extremely worrisome. When was the wedding supposed to be? If he is going to voluntarily pop up I would think it would be before that date. I wonder if he is aware of this massive search effort? (Thinking positively that he is still amongst us).

 

[dotr]

Feb 25 2018
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/you-find-liam-colgan-ex-12084038

'You will find Liam Colgan' Ex-cop whose nephew disappeared in Dubai backs missing Scot's family

Colin MacColl's nephew Timmy MacColl, from Perthshire, went missing in Dubai in a case he says is similar to Liam Colgan's.

The search is similar to that for Royal Navy seaman Timmy MacColl, of Killin, *Perthshire, who went missing in May 2012, while on a night out friends.

Timmy’s uncle Colin *MacColl, a retired police officer, said: “When I heard Liam had gone missing, I immediately thought there were similarities to Timmy’s case. He is never far from our thoughts.”

 

[Elainera]

Not being familiar with the area, I was trying to figure out how Liam could get back home. Doesn't look easy at all; a four hour flight at least? How would one hitchhike back...don't you have to take a ferry at some point?
The time passage is becoming extremely worrisome. When was the wedding supposed to be? If he is going to voluntarily pop up I would think it would be before that date. I wonder if he is aware of this massive search effort? (Thinking positively that he is still amongst us).

Yes if you don't fly you have to take a ferry, usually from France or Holland over to Dover. He would need his passport though.

 

[rosesfromangels]

Yes if you don't fly you have to take a ferry, usually from France or Holland over to Dover. He would need his passport though.

I doubt he has any credentials in his possession given his level of intoxication.
This is helpful info. If he tries to cross he will be stopped. I hope his family has notified the appropriate officials at those checkpoints.

If he is alive and voluntarily missing, any speculations on why? Based on what I read, seems very out of character?

Please Lord, let this one be found in time.

 

[*Verdigris]

￣
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/family-missing-liam-colgan-turn-12088654

A passer-by reported that he assisted Liam by helping him up after he had fallen.

He can be seen on CCTV looking back at Liam who, after trying unsuccessfully to enter a building, is seen walking towards nearby Michelwiese Park.

So I guess fhey have indeed spoken with the helper.
Now I wonder what he may have said about Liam's demeanor -
- did he seem happy-drunk, or sad-drunk?
Even if helper-guy didn't understand English, he surely could discern
whether Liam seemed to be in a jovial mood, or if he seemed dejected.
(Beyond being inebriated.)
imo.

 

[dotr]

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/family-missing-liam-colgan-turn-12088654

[h=1]Family of missing Liam Colgan turn to St Pauli football fans for help in search bid[/h]

Fans of St Pauli - who are based in Hamburg - have helped the search (Image: Peter Boehmer)

 

[cybervampira]

The Search For Liam Continues – Day 16 Update – Monday 26.02.18
https://www.facebook.com/findliam/posts/2103816336529307

This update is intended as a summary for those who have been following the story since the beginning and also to people who are new to the story.

Liam Colgan went missing in the early hours of the 10th February 2018 during the first night of the “stag do” he had organised for his brother and 17 friends. The last bar he attended was the Veermaster Bar on the Reeperbahn. For reasons unknown to friends and family, Liam left a minute or so ahead of the group he was with and has not been seen since.
CCTV footage from the Gruner & Jahr building in Hamburg was released on Wednesday 21.02.18 (over a week after Liam went missing) and shows Liam approximately 1 hour after he was last seen by friends and family.
The arm you see next to Liam in the photo is that of a passer by who had assisted Liam. This witness has come forward and liaised with Liam’s family and the police and their account of events is corroborated by the CCTV footage. There is no reason to speculate over any further involvement of this person.

A number of witness reports claimed to have seen Liam in nearby Buxtehude in the days after Liam went missing and police sniffer dogs also found a trace of his scent here.
Kind volunteers met with friends and family in Buxtehude and conducted 2 days of further searches and poster distribution. Awareness in Buxtehude is very high now and we have continued with searches in other areas around Hamburg also.

We had countless volunteers assist with searches, as well as poster and flyer distribution throughout Hamburg and the surrounding areas over the last week & will be forever grateful for their continuing generosity.
There is a local group conducting their own searches for Liam in the Hamburg area, which is not organised by this page. For more information on this, please go to:
https://t.me/joinchat/Drm1Z0nUEmQK3_dTP-M6Ew

We feel the best way of finding Liam is to continue to raise awareness of his identity, by sharing updates on the Facebook page, by distributing posters and continuing to talk about this story until we find him.
Due to the time that has passed since Liams disappearance and lack of confirmed sightings, we appeal that you share the story even wider across Germany, in case Liam has moved on from the Hamburg area.
Please be patient with people on the Facebook page. Some people are new to the story and only mean well with suggestions. If you are new to the page, please understand that we are working with the police and that most “obvious” questions have usually been asked multiple times since Day 1.
Please also refrain from gossip, speculation and arguments, as ALL posts and comments are read by friends and family and this causes unnecessary stress and worry. We are all trying to help.

If you have any ideas or suggestions, we welcome these. If you think you have seen Liam please notify the Police AND let us know.
Unfortunately, the lack of CCTV, video and photographic evidence to date has made it extremely difficult to confirm any potential sightings that have been reported.
We continue to ask that you please ensure your own safety at all times, if helping with the search for Liam and poster distribution.
Liam’s brother Eamonn and his fiancé have currently returned to Scotland for a short period to see their young children, but will return to Hamburg to continue the search in person shortly but ask that everyone continues to help - as they have done so far.
We are humbled by the continued support you all offer and with this support and your local knowledge, we WILL find Liam together.

#FindLiam
Facebook – Help Find Liam Colgan –
www.facebook.com/findliam

 

[rosesfromangels]

Do we know if Liam has had previous disapearances, or if there is any indication of a prexistimg condition that might explain his actions?
I still think this is a matter of the heart, but only those closest to him would know.

Checking daily hoping and praying for a favorable outcome. Liam, time to be found!

 

[dotr]

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/2286442/sniffer-dogs-liam-colgan-hamburg-stag-do-missing/
Feb 26 2018

THREE sniffer dogs picked up the trail of missing Scot Liam Colgan in Hamburg but their search for him drew a blank, German cops have revealed.

The specialist pooches were called in after a sighting of the postie, 29, was reported on Friday.

A beagle followed its nose to St Pauli subway station, near the pub Liam was spotted leaving on February 10.

A second dog ran through the area for more than 2km while the third animal tracked a scent to a nearby park.

But all three trails ran cold after five hours.

 

[houndpounder]

Maybe he jumped in a car with someone the only reason I can think of with the scent dropping off. I am not expert in doggie searches.

 

[Elainera]

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/2286442/sniffer-dogs-liam-colgan-hamburg-stag-do-missing/
Feb 26 2018

So did the two dogs run in two different directions?

 

[TickettyBoo]

Just a thought but how did they get TO the pub? Was it by train? I'm not sure how the dogs work but could they have picked up the scent of Liam from when they got there?

 

[cybervampira]

So did the two dogs run in two different directions?

Only found one German article referring to three dogs. It says those dogs followed different trails after a witness claimed he saw a man he thought looked like Liam at Laeiszhalle. The witness followed him but lost sight of him. Police arrived quickly with dogs but the search was stopped unsuccessfully after 5 hours.
https://www.mopo.de/hamburg/polizei...zhalle-nach-vermisstem-schotten-liam-29770488

This was Thursday. No news since then. Oh, some drama in the FB group today.

 

[Elainera]

I wonder whether every time there was a sighting LE pulled available CCTV footage from around the area.

 

[gregjrichards]

17 days now Liam has been missing it is baffling.

 

[cybervampira]

I wonder whether every time there was a sighting LE pulled available CCTV footage from around the area.

I think so but public surveillance still is very limited in Germany. Due to privacy laws, private CCTV systems are not allowed to capture public ground. When I see all the bad guys they catch in „The First 48“ because some home owner‘s street cam captured a crime, I imagine how you‘d receive an injunction faster than you can say „Hello“ doing that in Germany. [emoji51]

 

[Scotland888]

Only found one German article referring to three dogs. It says those dogs followed different trails after a witness claimed he saw a man he thought looked like Liam at Laeiszhalle. The witness followed him but lost sight of him. Police arrived quickly with dogs but the search was stopped unsuccessfully after 5 hours.
https://www.mopo.de/hamburg/polizei...zhalle-nach-vermisstem-schotten-liam-29770488

This was Thursday. No news since then. Oh, some drama in the FB group today.

What was the drama on FB group? Was Thursday the last report of a sighting of him?