Mystery of missing doctor solved 12 years after he vanished without trace

Wales Online

17-06-2025

Mystery of missing doctor solved 12 years after he vanished without trace
Shayne Eves Colaco, 33, disappeared after setting off for a walk alone in the summer of 2012
Psychiatrist Shayne Colaco went missing on the Carneddau mountains in the summer of 2012
(Image: North Wales Police )
The circumstances surrounding the unsolved disappearance of a successful doctor who vanished without trace and was later declared dead have finally become clear.
In 2012 psychiatrist Shayne Eves Colaco, 33, disappeared while walking in Eryri, leaving behind only his parked car near Ogwen Cottage and an intended route plan.
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Having driven to Wales from the Stoke-on-Trent region he began walking towards 3,209ft Pen yr Ole Wen but he was never seen again.
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Despite numerous "cold case" reviews by Staffordshire Police Shayne's disappearance remained a mystery and he was declared dead six years later, NorthWalesLive reports.
The case remained unsolved until a series of remarkable coincidences unfolded following another tragic incident 12 years later. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.
On January 9, 2024, David Brookfield, 65, from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, also vanished while walking alone in the Carneddau mountains.
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David Brookfield, 65, was found four months after disappearing
(Image: North Wales Police )
A massive search operation was launched involving mountain rescuers, a coastguard helicopter, drones, and dogs but it initially yielded no results.
However, in a surprising turn of events, the search for David led to the discovery of Shayne's remains, finally bringing closure to the mystery of his disappearance. Four months on, on May 10, 2024, a blue jacket was spotted in the Ogwen Valley by a coastguard helicopter crew.
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The discovery was purely fortuitous as they were conducting a routine training exercise.
It is believed that David, while descending from the summit of Pen yr Ole Wen, entered the wide mouth of a gully where he fell and sustained serious injuries. When his body and belongings were being recovered mountain rescue volunteers stumbled upon something that would finally illuminate what had happened to Shayne.
Sgt Paul Terry, of the North Wales Police drone unit, recounted the sequence of events. "While we were carrying out the investigation process into David's death a mountain rescue team member found a jacket about five metres further down the gully," he said.
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Shayne Colaco's jacket was discovered on Pen yr Ole Wen during the recovery of David Brookfield's body
(Image: North Wales Police )
"The jacket didn't seem to fit with the picture of what we were investigating. It was an older jacket, one that seemed to have been there for some time, and inside the pocket was a car key.
"Deep in the memory of this rescue team was Shayne Colaco who had gone missing in the same area 12 years earlier."
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Sgt Terry began investigating what Shayne had been wearing and what car he had been driving at the time he went missing.
He said: "I was quite amazed to find that the jacket was very similar to the one Shayne was wearing the day he went missing. Following further investigations we managed to confirm the key in the pocket was the key to Shayne's car – a Fiat Seicento.
"Suddenly we realised we may have a clue as to where he may have been all this time."
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After Shayne's possessions were found, a specialist mountain rescue drone operator conducted additional searches on Pen yr Ole Wen to locate his remains.
Sgt Terry continued: "As the drone pilot stood in the spot where we had recovered David something quite incredible happened.
"He spotted a piece of fabric under some brush and the debris that had washed down the gully and, quite incredibly, realised that he had also found the remains of Shayne Colaco.
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Sgt Paul Terry of the North Wales Police drone unit
(Image: North Wales Police )
"What's really so amazing about this story is that so many of the people involved in searching for David had also been involved in the searches 12 years before for Shayne.
"One of the winchmen who located David from the helicopter was also part of RAF 22 Squadron looking for Shayne 12 years earlier.
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"This brings so many people together around two really sad stories but it shows the amazing willingness and determination of volunteers and the emergency services to find both these men."
Sgt Terry said both men were experienced hikers who had prepared well but warned that "it's always possible that something will go wrong".
He said: "Eryri is an incredible place, it's beautiful, and on a good day the mountains look achievable and accessible. But it's important to understand the scale of these hills and the impact of weather – and how quickly it can change.
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"In both these cases David and Shayne ended up in ground which really is very dangerous, which might have seemed inviting from the summit, but as it got steeper and more broken it became harder."
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