The search that ended IN TRAGEDY

When Donna Nelson’s son couldn’t sleep, he decided to go for a walk

- Fiona Kinloch

Giving my son, Christopher, a hug and a kiss goodbye, tears filled my eyes. ‘I’m going to miss you,’ I sniffed.

It was summer 2014 and, after having him to ourselves for 24 wonderful years, his dad, Scott, then 45, and I were waving our boy off on his new life with his girlfriend, Steffi, 27, in her native Germany. The pair had met at the Edinburgh Fringe festival the year before and had been dating ever since. I adored Steffi, but it still didn’t make saying goodbye any easier.

See, my Christopher was a true mummy’s boy, and he and his little sisters, Rebecca, then 22, and Abby, 11, were inseparable.

We’d spent their childhood going on camping holidays, and when we weren’t out exploring, we were happy snuggled up on the sofa watching Friends re-runs.

Watching Christopher get on the plane was a wrench, and I missed him like crazy. But in September 2015, during a visit home, Christopher proposed to Steffi. Not only that, they were planning to move back to Scotland that Christmas. I was elated.

That November, a month before the move back, they travelled to Amsterdam to visit friends. Only, while they were away, I woke up one morning to a phone call from Steffi.

‘Christopher is missing,’ she said, and those three words sent a chill through me. Panicking, I woke Scott before trying Christopher’s phone.

‘It’s going straight to answerphone,’ I told Scott, my voice wavering with worry. My mother’s instinct was screaming that something was seriously wrong. Back on the phone to Steffi, I couldn’t hold back the tears.

Sleepless night

‘What’s going on? What happened?’ I asked. Steffi told me they’d gone out for a meal before heading back to their friend’s flat.