Family of missing Dereham man appeal of public's help, as searches continue
James Whitman was last seen at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital around 4pm on June the 13th
The parents of a missing man from Dereham have described the last few months without their son, as an 'absolute nightmare'
As searches continue around the Cringleford, Earlham and Bowthorpe areas, to find 40 year old James Whitman who was last seen at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) at around 4pm on June the 13th.
Police officers and volunteers from Lowland Search and Rescue were out covering these areas on the weekend commencing September 10th.
Essex Police had recommended expanding the search operation by 600 metres.
James' Dad, Steve Whitman told us that his son was struggling with his mental health and was taken to hospital, but family members weren't allowed to travel with him in the Ambulance due to Covid regulations.
NNUH are treating this as 'serious investigation'- to avoid this happened against.
"We wake up in the morning, hoping today will be different"
Steve remembers the last time he spoke to his son and what the three months have been like:
"James went off in the Ambulance at 2pm. At quarter-past 4pm, I was getting ready to give the hospital a ring and James phoned me. He said 'I've had enough of this Dad, I can't stay here in the hospital anymore- I'm just sitting here waiting, I'm coming home'. From the hospital to here is about about 20 miles, so I said 'how are you going to get home, James?' and he said, 'I'll walk'. I said, 'Don't be so silly- I will come and pick you up', but said 'No I'll be fine'. That was the last conversation I had with him".
"It's nightmare, it's groundhog day. It's all of those things. We wake up in the morning, hoping today will be different, something will happen or be found. We go to bed thinking, maybe tomorrow will be different. It is a real nightmare".
"He hasn't just vanished- he is out there somewhere"
His mum, Sharon Sowinski says she's not given up hope:
"There are still areas to be searched, because the Police were low on man-power with many having to be at Sandringham. But with another search, comes a bit more hope. He's out there somewhere, that's the hard thing. He hasn't just vanished- he is out there somewhere".
While Steve is confident that his son is still in the county:
"I know James as well as any dad knows his son. There are things about James that he would have never told me. There are things about him that his brother, Chris knows about him that I will never know. But what I do think I know, is that James is not the type of guy that would say 'I've had enough of all this', I'm going to hitch a lift to Newcastle, Liverpool or Manchester and start a new life".
"We want to do everything we can to put an end to the turmoil"
Superintendent Kris Barnard, who is leading the police search, said: “It’s three months since James went missing and his family and friends are desperate to know where he is.
“In the immediate days following his disappearance, we exhausted all avenues open to us and over the following weeks we’ve been keeping track of his bank accounts and finances to see if they could tell us anything. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been any activity.
“Regrettably, but understandably, James’s disappearance has changed the lives of his family and friends in way they never imagined possible.
"We want to do everything we can to put an end to the turmoil they’ve been living in these past months.
So I’d ask people living around the UEA and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital: please cast your minds back to Monday 13 June, can you remember seeing James or anything that appeared unusual and, if officers knock at your door and ask for your help or to search garden or outbuilding, please co-operate.”
What should those with any information on this do?
They should contact Norfolk Police on 101 quoting incident number 341 of Monday 13 June 2022.