Desperate search for sailor after he vanished off Drake’s Island in Plymouth

Guy Nelson and his boat Swallow who has vanished at the start of the month (Picture: Devon and Cornwall Police)

Police are becoming increasingly concerned for a sailor who vanished off an island in Plymouth.

Guy Nelson, 57, was last known seen around the Drake’s Island area of Plymouth on Monday 8 September.

A police spokesman said the force was concerned and have released more pictures of the missing man in the hopes he can be found.

He said: ‘We continue to be concerned for the welfare of 57-year-old Guy Nelson and are issuing a more recent picture of him.

‘Guy had been sailing around Cornwall and Devon on his boat named Swallow and it is believed it was Guy’s intention to sail from Plymouth along the coast, but he has not been heard from since.’

He had previously been in St Dominick in Cornwall, where the new picture was taken on Friday 5 September. 

Guy, from Leamington Spa, has no known links to Devon and Cornwall other than sailing in the area.

He is described as a white male, 5ft 10ins tall, of medium build, with short curly brown hair and brown eyes.

Guy usually wears glasses, a black t-shirt and jeans.

The six-acre island lies just 500 metres from land in the Plymouth Sounds.

Drake’s Island gained importance as a strategic defensive point in defending Plymouth when Henry VIII developed the English cannon industry.

It was previously bought by former Royal Navy engineer Morgan Phillips in 2019 for about £6 million.

Today people can take tours of the islandwith even ghost tours available in the historic fort.

Anybody who has seen Guy or knows or his whereabouts is asked to call 999 quoting log 852 of 17 September.

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