The family of a man who disappeared three years ago in Lanzarote confesses that "continues fighting" to find answers despite the passage of time. Gary James Watson, who would now be 56 years old, disappeared in March 2023 when he traveled to Lanzarote to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
The Civil Guard then asked for citizen collaboration to find his whereabouts. The last time he was seen he was wearing a Celtic of Glasgow shirt, the team he supports.
Coming from the Scottish town of Renfrew, located in the surroundings of Glasgow, James Watston decided to fly to the island of volcanoes, because it was a destination he "loved" and in which he "felt safe" to celebrate this Irish festivity, as his mother told the tabloid Daily Record.
According to this information, Gary's family would have traveled several times to Lanzarote to search for the young man on their own. Gary was last seen in the early hours of March 17 drinking in a bar in Puerto del Carmen. In August 2023, the Civil Guard again requested citizen collaboration to locate a possible witness to the disappearance, as they were seen walking together between Avenida de Las Playas and Avenida Italia in the tourist town.
His mother Ann McMurray has highlighted that before taking the flight to Lanzarote her son told her he loved her and that he would call her on Mother's Day, which in Scotland is celebrated on March 15. However, that call never happened. Meanwhile, his sister has indicated that she needs to close that chapter and know "what happened to him or where he is". "It's a very hard blow".
The police investigation into her disappearance was archived and then reopened in March 2025.
