Northern Ireland

Family of Co Down man Connor Murphy missing in Amsterdam thank all those 'doing everything they can' to help

Co Down man Connor Murphy went missing in Amsterdam on January 13
Co Down man Connor Murphy went missing in Amsterdam on January 13 Co Down man Connor Murphy went missing in Amsterdam on January 13

THE sister of a Co Down man who has been missing for a month in the Netherlands has expressed her thanks to all those who are "doing everything and anything they can" to help.

Rebecca Murphy said her family are "flat out" as they continue to make every effort to find her brother Connor, who was last seen in the early hours of January 13 in Amsterdam.

The 39-year-old chef from Newcastle has been living in the city for three years.

He had gone to visit a friend in the Nieuwmarkt area on Saturday January 12 and was last seen leaving the district in the early hours of the next morning.

At the time he was wearing blue jeans, a grey hoodie, a coloured cap and had a blue and yellow shoulder bag.

Over the last month, members of Mr Murphy's family have travelled to the Dutch capital to hand out leaflets and put up posters, appealing for the public's help in tracing their loved one.

In recent days Sean McCarry, from Northern Ireland's Community Rescue Service, made the trip to Amsterdam to assist the family.

Mr McCarry used specialist sonar equipment, which had been bought at a cost of £30,000 by a fund set up in memory of Joby Murphy (20) from Glengormley, who drowned following a night out in Belfast in January 2012.

Connor Murphy's family drove the sonar from Northern Ireland to the Netherlands so Mr McCarry could use the equipment, which is towed behind a boat to give high-definition images of targets for searches.

He was assisted by the Amsterdam Reddingsbrigade during a search of a canal but nothing was found.

Mr McCarry and the sonar have since returned to Northern Ireland.

A poster containing details about Connor Murphy and images of the bag and shoes he was believed to have had with him when he went missing. Picture by Marijke Moore-Nalis/Facebook
A poster containing details about Connor Murphy and images of the bag and shoes he was believed to have had with him when he went missing. Picture by Marijke Moore-Nalis/Facebook A poster containing details about Connor Murphy and images of the bag and shoes he was believed to have had with him when he went missing. Picture by Marijke Moore-Nalis/Facebook

However, Connor Murphy's family have now located sonar equipment closer to Amsterdam and new searches of other canals are due to take place next week.

The family are also waiting updated information regarding their brother's mobile phone.

It is hoped the signal, when examined, will narrow down a search area.

A JustGiving page set up to help the family's search has so far raised more than £6,200.

Speaking to The Irish News last night, Rebecca Murphy, who lives in Castlewellan, said the response to the appeal has been "such a beautiful thing in such a dark time".

"The community are so loving," said the 35-year-old.

"I can't believe people are going out of their way. People who don't know us and they are doing everything and anything they can.

"It's something I have never experienced. It's allowing us to maintain the campaign.

"We have managed to get hold of another charity who will continue the sonar search for us. We have located another sonar over there.

"It will allow us to hopefully to push to bring the dogs back in".

Donations can be made at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/letsfindmurph.