A fund set up to help bring a missing Workington man home has raised over £16,000.
The Gofundme page was set up on behalf of Nicholas Degraff’s family to continue to search for the 23-year-old, who was last seen in Great Clifton on December 12.
Police and other agencies, plus members of the community, have been searching for him ever since.
But his family say they were told by police that specialist dive teams will not be able to return for general searches and officers would not be able ‘to offer any further extensive searches at this time’.
So the fundraising drive was set up to pay for private divers to search the River Derwent and within 24 hours, has raised £16,317 from 1,100 people.
A police spokesman said Cumbria Constabulary had not stopped the search for Nicholas.
She added: “We continue to review the search areas and we have not stood down the search effort. As and when we identify further areas for search then we will continue to task the underwater assets.”
Chief Inspector Lee Skelton, of Cumbria police, said “There have been extensive searches in the effort to find Nicholas Degraff, who has been missing since December 12.
“The searches over the last 11 days include use of licensed search officers, specialist police dogs, North West underwater search team, local mountain rescue teams, HM Coastguard and Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service.
“This has included focused searches of the River Derwent, review of CCTV as well as wider land-based searches of the relevant area.
“These have incorporated members of the public, friends and family of Nicholas who have assisted us cover a large area where it is believed he may have been.
“The search permits are constantly under review by a specialist police search advisor based on intelligence we receive and I would continue to encourage anyone with any information to contact us.”
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 an Iceland carrier bag.
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.
To donate to the fund, visit https://gofund.me/8413d9a8
Nicholas Degraff’s sister ‘will not rest until he is found’ – Read more here.
