No chance missing Jack fell in river, says expert

A leading expert in Bristol's waterways has told the BBC there is "no chance whatsoever" that the missing student Jack O'Sullivan fell into the water.

Jack, who was 22 at the time of his disappearance, was last seen on 2 March 2024 after attending a house party in the Hotwells area of Bristol.

Speaking about the case for the first time, former deputy harbourmaster Mike Ferguson said it was "impossible" that Jack could have entered the water and subsequently not been found.

Avon and Somerset Police said information from third parties "provided through these reports has been fed into our enquiries".

"We have kept an open mind throughout this investigation and been led by evidence. Jack entering the water is among the scenarios we have considered," the force added.

"Detectives from the investigative team have reviewed all submissions from third parties. We have commissioned independent reports from nationally-accredited experts in their fields."

Ferguson has decades of experience working Bristol's waterways as a sailor, and eight years experience as a deputy harbourmaster.

When asked what he thought the likelihood was of Jack having gone into the water on 2 March, he said: "If I'm being honest, no, none whatsoever.

"Jack couldn't have been in the water. It really is that simple. They would have found him."

Jack was studying a law conversion course in Bristol and was living at home with his family.

On the night of his disappearance, he had been at a house party in Hotwells and left at about 02:53 GMT.

Jack was captured on various CCTV cameras attempting to stop taxis, but was unsuccessful.

Avon and Somerset Police said the last likely sighting of him was at 03:38 GMT when he was walking along Bennett Way slip road, heading towards the city centre.

In the days and weeks after he went missing, the assumption was made, by the police and others, that Jack had fallen into the water.

But as time went on and no trace of him was found, people started to question that assumption.

During Ferguson's role as deputy harbour master in Bristol, he was tasked with certain responsibilities such as charting water levels, currents, tides and the search and recovery of bodies in the water.

Over the past two years, Ferguson has spent hundreds of hours writing several independent reports exploring numerous scenarios about what might have happened to Jack.

"Anything being washed around [the river Avon] tends to get caught in what they say is catchment points," he explained.

"And these are seven well-known points between Avonmouth and Hanham.

"I think every body that we've ever found that hasn't been floating or hasn't been under the water has been found in one of these catchment points.

"No body on record has ever been rushed out to sea," said Ferguson.

Jack's mum, Catherine O'Sullivan, said the family were not giving up hope on finding him.

"My life is completely on hold," she said.

"It doesn't move forward. It's a very awful place to be. We do our best, because anything else, for us, we'd be giving up on Jack and we're not prepared to do that."

She said the former harbourmaster's report had given them a new focus.

"The narrative was set very early on by the police in our opinion.

"And the attention has always [been based] around the harbour, but when you have a piece of information that categorically tells you that's not possible, then that's really important for people to understand," said Catherine.

"But really, if Jack was to be found anywhere other than in the water, then so many questions would have to be asked."

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