Riddle of Scottish Royal Navy seaman who disappeared on Dubai visit

THE family of a Scottish sailor who went missing in Dubai after leaving a bar just minutes from his ship said they were “going crazy with worry” about his whereabouts.

Leading Seaman Timothy MacColl, 27, known as Timmy, was a member of the crew of HMS Westminster, which arrived in Dubai on Saturday and left yesterday.

His family yesterday issued a plea for help in finding him.

The married father-of-two, originally from Killin in Stirlingshire, whose wife is expecting their third child in October, was last seen by a shipmate getting into a taxi alone at around 2am on Sunday.

Shortly before disappearing, he was said to have left the Rock Bottom Bar, at the Regent Hotel, in the area of Deira, a 15-minute drive from Port Rashid, where HMS Westminster was docked.

The Royal Navy yesterday confirmed a member of HMS Westminster’s crew was missing in Dubai and said the Navy was working with local authorities and Foreign Office representatives in the United Arab Emirates to find him.

Leading Seaman MacColl, who is currently living in Gosport in Hampshire, has two children aged six and four. His wife Rachael said he had been in good spirits and was looking forward to speaking to his children.

“We are appealing to the people of Dubai and reaching out to the large expat community to help us find Timmy and raise awareness in that area,” she said.

“We are desperately worried. Checks have been made with hospitals, prisons, police stations, medical stations and mortuaries and there is no record of him and no sightings so far.

“I last spoke with Timmy at midday on Saturday and he was in really good spirits and looking forward to speaking with the children on Skype on Sunday. That call never happened.”

Mrs MacColl said that it was “completely out of character” for the sailor not to contact his family and that they were “completely at a loss and going crazy with worry”.

“Wherever Timmy is, I know that he wants to be found. He will want us to find him. We need people to help us do that,” she added. “He may be in trouble somewhere. He could be trapped as far as we know. We have absolutely no idea. Please, please help us find him.”

It is understood Mr MacColl left Scotland almost a decade ago after joining the Forces, but still speaks with a Scottish accent.

A Royal Navy spokesman said: “We have one sailor who is currently unaccounted for in Dubai. Everything is being done to ensure that he is located safely.”