Wife believes sailor missing in Dubai wants to be found

Leading Seaman Timothy Andrew MacColl, 27, known as Timmy, was a member of the crew of HMS Westminster, which arrived in Dubai on May 26 before setting sail again last Thursday.

His family said the married father of two, whose wife is expecting their third child in October, was last seen by a shipmate getting into a taxi alone at about 2am on May 27.

He is said to have just left the Rock Bottom Bar at the Regent Hotel in the area of Deira, about a 15-minute drive from Port Rashid, where HMS Westminster was docked.

The Royal Navy 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, from Gosport in Hampshire, and originally from Killin, in Scotland, has two children aged six and four.

His wife Rachael said the last time she spoke to him he had arranged their next internet video chat.

She told ITV1’s Daybreak: “He was really excited as we were going to Skype call the next day.

“He was moaning at me not to be late because I can sometimes take a while to get the computer up and running. He confirmed it with me at 2pm he would Skype from the Seaman’s Mission in Dubai and that call never came.”

She added: “I wouldn’t say he’s disappeared. He’s missing, my husband wants to be found.

“I’m not sure what’s happened to him but I know wherever he is he wants to be found.”

More than 50,000 Facebook users have joined a group to raise awareness of Leading Seaman MacColl.

His wife said crew members from the ship walked the route he had taken and spoke to members of the public to gather information.

She said she had struggled to explain the situation to her children as they were used to their father being away from home.

“He’s been away for three months, he’s not due back until August,” she said.

“At the moment I’m just trying to protect them as much as I can until I’ve got more information.

“It’s hard to explain to them – because they’re so young – what missing is.”