It has been eighteen long months since 23-year-old Jack O’Sullivan disappeared after a night out in Bristol — and still, not a single trace of him has been found. For his mother, Catherine O’Sullivan, every sunrise brings the same unbearable question: Where is my son?

Jack vanished in the early hours of March 2, 2024, after leaving a friend’s house party in the Hotwells area. CCTV last captured him around 3:15 a.m., walking near Brunel Lock Road close to the Cumberland Basin. Since that moment, it is as though he simply vanished into thin air.

Despite countless searches by police, specialist divers, and volunteers, no evidence has surfaced to explain what happened that night. Not his phone, wallet, or clothing — nothing. His disappearance remains one of the most haunting unsolved cases in Bristol’s recent memory.


A Mother’s Endless Plea

For Catherine, the search for her son has become her life’s mission. She has spoken to the media, organized search teams, met with investigators, and launched public appeals — all in the desperate hope that someone, somewhere, will come forward.

“It’s been eighteen months of pure agony,” she said recently. “We can’t grieve, we can’t rest, and we can’t move forward. We just need to know what happened to Jack.”

The family has also offered a £100,000 reward for any information that leads to finding him — a staggering amount that shows the depth of their determination. Yet even that hasn’t produced the breakthrough they so desperately need.


The Night Jack Disappeared

Jack was described by friends as cheerful and grounded — someone who rarely got into trouble. On that cold March night, he attended a house party with university friends. CCTV later showed him walking alone in the direction of the city centre, possibly trying to get home.

Police believe Jack may have entered the nearby water, but his family strongly disputes that theory. Catherine has said repeatedly that there is no concrete proof her son fell into the river.

“We’ve searched the water over and over again,” she said. “If he was there, we would have found him by now. Something else happened — and someone out there knows what it is.”


Frustration with the Investigation

Over the past year, Catherine has openly voiced her frustration at how the case has been handled. She claims that key CCTV footage was missed in the early days of the search and that parts of the investigation were “rushed and poorly coordinated.”

She has since obtained additional video evidence on her own — including a clip showing Jack minutes after the last police-confirmed sighting. For her, this only proves how vital public involvement has been in keeping the case alive.

“If we hadn’t done our own digging, half of this would’ve been forgotten,” she said. “We shouldn’t have to do this, but I won’t stop until Jack is found.”


A Family Refusing to Give Up

Despite the pain and exhaustion, the O’Sullivan family continues to fight. Posters of Jack still cover lampposts and shop windows across Bristol. A dedicated website and social media campaign — Find Jack O’Sullivan — keeps his story in the public eye, ensuring that the world doesn’t forget him.

The police insist the investigation remains open. Officers have combed through more than 100 hours of CCTV footage, conducted water and land searches, and interviewed over 130 witnesses. But to this day, no solid lead has emerged.

Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall of Avon & Somerset Police urged anyone with information to come forward:

“Even the smallest detail could make a difference. Please, if you saw anything unusual that night — come to us.”


“We Just Want Him Home”

Eighteen months without answers has taken an enormous emotional toll. Catherine admits that she wakes every morning feeling the same pain as the first day Jack went missing.

“There’s no closure, no peace,” she said quietly. “All we want is to bring Jack home — wherever he is. We will never stop searching.”

The mystery of Jack O’Sullivan’s disappearance remains unsolved — but his family’s love and determination continue to shine through the darkness. As each new day passes, one hope remains unchanged: that someone, someday, will finally tell them what really happened that night.