An inspector involved in the search for a missing Workington man says there is still hope.
Officers were alerted at 12.30pm on Sunday that 23-year-old Nicholas Degraff had not returned home after he was last seen leaving a friend’s house at five o’clock that morning.
A major search was then launched and is still continuing, with police, fire, mountain rescue, coastguard, inshore rescue and volunteers all involved.
Nicholas left an address on Rosemary Gardens in Great Clifton and never made it to Workington.
A search party is being organised for this morning to help with a line search along the river bank and woodland from Ripton Hall to Millfield.
Police Inspector Laura Boyd is remaining hopeful of a positive outcome.
“I think we have to be realistic as time goes on hope dwindles slightly but sitings are still coming in and we are looking at CCTV to rule out certain things,” she said.
“We have to be realistic that the hopes of finding him alive diminish slightly (the more time passes) but we are hopeful until he is found.”
Anyone who has knowledge of Nicholas’ whereabouts is urged to call 999.
Nicholas is described as 5ft 10in, of slim build and with short, brown hair.
He has tattoos on his face and neck with spacer ear piercings.
He was last seen wearing a black jacket, black jogging bottoms, work boots and carrying a grey-coloured drawstring shoulder bag. He had an Alsatian dog with him.
Nicholas also had in his possession a 3M SPEED GLAS black welding mask – likely carried in a bag – which would be quite distinctive if found, police said.
Anyone with any other information is urged to report it at www.cumbria.police.uk/reportit or call 101.
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