Brit, 23, who vanished in Lisbon three days ago is feared to have ‘fallen into river’ after boat party
A 23-year-old British man, Julian Amaral from High Wycombe, is feared to have fallen into Lisbon's Tagus River after disappearing during a boat party, with Portuguese police now saying this is their leading theory. Amaral had been attending a music-and-boat event with his cousin when he went to the toilet just before midnight on 1 September and never returned, triggering a multi-day search involving divers, drones and an air force helicopter that has so far failed to find him.
Police say CCTV reportedly shows Amaral falling into the river shortly after leaving the boat, which had docked at Rocha Conde de Obidos in Lisbon's Alcantara area, though this footage has not been officially confirmed. His sister Cassie has appealed publicly for help, describing him as a "very strong swimmer" who was not drunk despite having had a few drinks, while another relative initially feared he may have been kidnapped; the search, coordinated by Lisbon's Maritime Police, resumed on Saturday between the Vasco da Gama Bridge and Alges.
- Brit Julian Amaral, 23, missing since a Lisbon boat party on 1 September
- Police believe he fell into the Tagus River after leaving the boat
- Divers, drones and a helicopter are searching; family pleads for help
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Julian Amaral, 23, from High Wycombe, has been missing in Lisbon since the early hours of 2 September, after leaving a boat party on the River Tagus to go to the toilet and never returning. He had been attending the event with his cousin. Portuguese authorities have been running a large-scale search, using divers, drones and a helicopter, but have not yet found him.
Police believe he may have fallen into the river shortly after leaving the boat, which had been moored in the Alcantara district, though this has not been formally confirmed. His family, including his sister Cassie, have been publicly appealing for information and helping to raise awareness of the search. The case has drawn wide attention both because of the uncertainty over what happened and the scale of the ongoing operation to find him.