Family of Celtic fan who vanished one year ago speak on anniversary

Gary Watson Shearer arrived in the resort of Puerto del Carmen on March 16, 2023, to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

The 53-year-old was last seen in the early hours of the next morning and failed to show up for his flight home a week later.

We previously reported in August 2023 that authorities were looking to speak to a mystery man who was last seen on CCTV walking with the footy fan on March 17, 2023.

Now, exactly one year on from Gary's disappearance, his heartbroken sister Debbie Shearer has said the family are 'having to accept' they won't get any 'answers' on the case.

She said: "I think we're having to accept we're not going to get any answers.

"We've been sitting in limbo for the past year and we always did have that glimmer of hope thinking something will come up, evidence or something like that.

"However, with it being a year on, we've basically lost hope of ever getting any answers at all."

Revealing how tough the last year has been for the family, the 49-year-old said it's been a 'nightmare'.

"I can't even describe the emotions we go through from minute to minute throughout the day - anger, frustration, heartache, crying, just everything," Debbie said.

"It's been a long year but it's not until the first anniversary, Mother's Day, and things like that come up when we go 'it is nearly a year already'.

"However, when you're living day-to-day it seems like the days drag in because you're constantly thinking of Gary, where he could be or what's happened."

The heartbroken sister also revealed the disappearance of her brother has had a 'big impact' on her family's everyday life.

Debbie said: "It's had a big impact. Just everything we do - it's just constantly thinking of Gary and where he could be and then the frustration and anger sets in because we've got no answers from nowhere."

Also speaking to the Glasgow Times, Gary's mum Ann McMurray, said: “We’re heartbroken and we just want to bring him home and find out what has happened to him.

“I’m on sleeping tablets, tablets to calm me down, and I’ve not had a night's sleep in the past year.

"I’m just totally heartbroken. We were so close as a family. We just miss him so much.

"We just want to know what happened to Gary, it’s the not knowing that’s killing us. It’s really terrible trying to get through each day."

To mark the one-year anniversary of Gary's disappearance, Debbie said her mum and sister Nikki will be heading over to the island this weekend.

She said: “They fly out on Sunday on the anniversary and they have got a meeting with Spanish police on Wednesday, but we’re not expecting any more news or updates because we’ve heard nothing from them at all.”

On top of the meeting, the devastated woman said the pair will be aiming to get Gary’s story out as much as possible.

“They will also be refreshing posters, they’ll be handing them out, and just getting Gary’s story out there as much as possible.

"They will be hoping to refresh people’s memories from last year because not everybody is on social media and a lot of these people go over for St Patrick’s Day, so, we’re hoping maybe some more evidence might come to light or people will look back on memories they had last year and discover Gary in them.”

However, when they return from the island, they will be clearing out Gary's flat.

“We’re broken-hearted. When my mum and sister come back the next step is we need to clear Gary’s flat and I think that’s when reality will actually dawn on us that he’s not going to be coming back," Debbie said.

Since last speaking to the Glasgow Times in December 2023, Debbie has revealed the family have had no updates on the investigation.

She said: “It’s non-existent in our eyes because we’re getting no answers, nothing, there’s no communication, nothing whatsoever.”

Following his disappearance last year, Spanish cops carried out a search of the area in June.

However, we previously reported that this search was unsuccessful.

The much-loved football fan vanished from outside Bar 67 in Puerto del Carmen, however, CCTV cameras show he was lying unconscious in a shop doorway next to the pub at around 1.30am on March 17, 2023.

Gary's loved ones have also previously flown out to the resort to carry out their own search.

The Renfrew man was last seen wearing a Celtic top, shorts, and white Nike trainers with green and yellow flashes.

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities.”

The Spanish Guardia Civil has been contacted for comment.