The family of a man who went missing during bad weather on Ynylas beach have made a desperate plea for anyone with information to come forward.
Police are continuing investigations after Ashley Wilbraham, 38, from Rhayader, went missing during a family holiday to Borth on Sunday, February 23.
The father of two went looking for his 15-year-old son, who he thought was on the beach at around 7pm that day during a bout of bad weather.
The family quickly found the son Riley waiting at a bus stop, but five weeks have now passed, and there is no sign of Ashley.
Janine Wilbraham, Ashley’s mum, said: “It’s been terrible, I’m in tears most of the time.
“No one can believe it - you think you’re OK, and the next, you’re in bits.
“You’re dreading knowing, but you’ve got to know.
“There’s no sign of him - he just totally and utterly disappeared.
“We don’t know if he got swept into the sea - it was quite wild that night.
“We’re scared to see a body come up.
“If he’d left the beach, why wouldn’t he have come back?”
Ashley and Riley had watched the Liverpool football game at Cambrian Coast Caravan Park before phoning Janine’s sister, Sandy, for a lift at roughly 6:45pm.
Ashley had been drinking - they were merry after Liverpool’s victory - CCTV shows them dancing, arms around each other and shouting whilst walking down the lane towards the main road.
Whilst waiting at the rainbow Ynyslas bus stop, Janine states they got into an argument - Riley left and walked towards the beach.
Ashley was picked up by Sandy in her Jeep, but he was crying and distraught thinking Riley was missing.
He jumped out of the car as Sandy was turning, shouting, “I’ve got to find my son”, and ran towards the dune’s opposite Searivers Caravan Park to try and cut Riley off.
Sandy then spotted Riley back at the original bus stop and picked him up - but there was no sign of Ashley.
He had left the car without his phone, wallet or coat.
They went looking for Ashley together on the beach, but after an hour passed, they called the police.
Dyfed-Powys Police engaged a multi-agency response involving coastguard, NPAS [National Police Air Service], dog unit and specialist police officers.
Ashley’s mum joined the search, and his three siblings drove up from Rhayader at 11pm to help.
Borth, Aberystwyth and New Quay Coastguard Rescue Teams were sent to assist the police at 12:05am on February 24, along with RNLI’s inshore lifeboat from Aberdyfi, but at 4am they were stood down.
A man found Ashley’s baseball cap at the bus shelter and handed it in to the police.
According to his bank, there has been no activity on his account since that day.
Janine has lost count of the number of times she’s driven back to Borth from Rhayader, searching in neighbouring villages and towns and putting up missing posters.
The family took out kayaks to check local caves and walked the coastal path.
She said: “He’s not a suicidal type of person - he was looking forward to going to Crufts.
“We were paying towards a holiday to Ireland we had planned.
“I want people to keep an eye out for him.
“Could he have fallen and lost his memory?
“You hear of these things, if he was in his right senses he’d come home.
“That’s the only hope, that he lost his memory somehow and walked off.”
She describes him as slim build, 6’2, with brown hair wearing jeans and a blue and white jumper.
A spokesperson from Dyfed-Powys Police added: “Extensive enquiries have been undertaken over the last month.”
Have you seen Ashley or have information that might help us find him? Please let us know:
📞| 101
Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111, or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.
Quote reference 369 of the 23rd February.