The partner of a Fife man who went missing on a fishing trip with friends five weeks ago has begged anyone who may have information to come forward and end her 'torture' of waiting for news.
Reece Rodger, 28, disappeared on the evening of Saturday March 18 while camping with pals on the banks of Loch Rannoch, near Pitlochry in Highland Perthshire. He was last seen at around 11.30pm that day by friends who thought he had gone to bed, but there was no sign of the dad-of-two the next morning.
His partner Paula Airzee believes he may have been seen walking on the B846, a country road that runs alongside the loch, in the hours after he disappeared. In a heartfelt appeal, she has asked anyone who might have seen him that night, or in the early hours of the 19th, to get in touch.
Speaking to the Courier, Paula said: "All we have to cling to right now is the one potential sighting on the B846. What we understand is that a person who was travelling on that road stopped after spotting a person on that road.
“He then got out of the car to help but, by that time, the individual has unfortunately disappeared from view. The man was a male and was wearing black clothing matching what Reece was wearing that evening.
"I’m urging those people who were on that road around the potential sighting to come forward, even if it they think they saw nothing at all. It’s crucial, if nothing else, to be able to eliminate them as we continue to piece together all known movements around that time.”
Police searches have been suspended after divers, dog units and aerial squads failed to turn up any news as to his whereabouts, but community organised walks have continued as thousands joined a Facebook group dedicated to tracking Reece down. Paula added that Reece's phone pinged a mast close to where a man matching his description was seen.
She doesn't believe that he was troubled at the time of his disappearance, adding that she had spoken to him while he was on the trip and that he was in "good spirits". But she says it is "heartbreaking" not knowing what to say to their children Nate, four, and Grayson, one, about where their dad has gone.
Reece is described as 6ft in height, of medium build with dark hair. When last seen he was wearing a black long-sleeved T-shirt with distinctive white letters on both sleeves spelling out MA STRUM, black jogging bottoms and black wellington boots.
Police are continuing to appeal to anyone who may have seen anyone matching his description to get in touch. Information can be given to Police Scotland by calling 101, quoting reference number 1348 of Sunday March 19.
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