The brother of missing man Gary Patterson, who vanished after withdrawing £100 from a cash machine in Larne more than three months ago, has made a plea for help.
Simon Patterson is urging as many people as possible to take part in fresh searches for the 45-year-old which are due to take place this weekend and are desperately appealing for information.
“Please, please, please — the smallest thing could lead to something great,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.
“We just pray to God he’s found safe and well.
“Everybody, please. Somebody must have seen Gary.”
Hunt on for missing man Gary Patterson last seen in Larne three months ago
A number of community search operations have been carried out in the area, including rivers, since the last sighting of Mr Patterson at an ATM near Tesco Express at 10.30am on Saturday, October 12.
“It’s a pure mystery,” Simon said.
“The only place Gary was ever happy was in Larne. That’s where he felt comfortable.
“I can’t see, unless he has been coerced into going somewhere else, why he would have ever left Larne.”
Simon said it was still unclear as to where the next search will focus, as there have been “a few potential sightings” reported in Belfast.
“We can’t rule anywhere out at all at the minute,” he added.
Gary Patterson
The last image of Mr Patterson was recorded on CCTV and shows him walking down stairs after leaving his flat at Priory Gardens.
“Gary is a very quiet individual, a wee bit of a loner,” his distraught brother explained.
“He had a wee flat of his own and that was his pride and joy… Gary was set in his routine.
“By 4pm on a normal day, Gary liked to be back in his flat, because he felt safe.”
Simon said his sibling had lived in the town, which was his “bubble” for more than a decade.
He told this newspaper that his own initial gut instinct lead him to believe his brother left the town; however, there have been no verified sightings, and checks with the local port yielded no reason to believe the 45-year-old boarded a ferry.
“[Gary] was a very quiet fella who kept himself to himself… [He was] no harm to anybody,” Simon added.
“[People would have said he was a] kind fella who was nice to talk to… Gary never took a drink or drugs. He had no bad habits.”
Gary Patterson
Simon said that his brother enjoyed frequenting shops in Larne, including charity shops, and was a great DVD collector.
Mr Patterson was wearing a distinctive yellow-and-black chequered jacket, blue jeans, walking boots and a dark-coloured beanie hat.
A Facebook page called ‘Lets Find Gary’ has been set up to provide updates on searches and share information about the missing man.
Police have issued numerous appeals since Mr Patterson was reported missing on December 20 after failing to turn up to an optician’s appointment.
A PSNI spokesperson said the missing man has links to the Larne and Belfast areas and described him as having dark hair and a thick moustache when he was last seen.
DUP MLA Cheryl Brownlee made an appeal in the Assembly chamber at Stormont on Monday for anyone with information to contact detectives.