by Rebecca Hannant
The search effort is continuing for missing Easington man Malcolm Curtis, as emergency services and local residents work to trace his whereabouts more than two weeks after he was last seen.
The 89-year-old was reported missing on Wednesday, June 4, after he was last sighted at around 8.15am walking west along Hull Road in Easington.
His disappearance prompted a multi-agency search involving Humberside Police, HM Coastguard, RNLI, aerial support and specialist dog units.
Officers have scoured an area of about three square miles covering Easington and neighbouring villages, supported by patrol vehicles, off-road bikes, drones and the police helicopter. Specialist search dogs and underwater units have also been deployed to assist.
Chief Inspector Owen Stafford said: “Since Malcolm was reported missing, we have carried out extensive inquiries involving large-scale searches over a 7.5km² area of countryside with specialist trained teams, scent dogs, the Underwater Search Unit, and support from partner agencies, as well as Malcolm’s family and friends.
“We have reviewed hours of CCTV and doorbell footage and undertaken house-to-house inquiries to understand Malcolm’s movements and the direction he may have taken.
“As time passes, the nature of our search efforts continues to adapt with specialist search dogs carrying out more targeted searches based on the information we’ve gathered so far. Our work to find Malcolm remains ongoing, and we are committed to doing everything we can to provide answers for his family and loved ones, who are being supported throughout this difficult time.”
The last confirmed sighting of Malcolm was at 8.10am on Westfield Close, before he was seen walking west along Hull Road. Police are continuing to urge anyone who may have dashcam or CCTV footage from between 8am and 8.30am that day to come forward.
Members of the public have also joined in the search, with residents scouring fields, ditches, and outbuildings across the local area.
Easington resident and businesswoman Liz Downing said she and her son had searched extensively since the day Malcolm was reported missing.
Liz, who runs the Card Shop in Withernsea, said: “We’ve checked the football field, the church, bridleways, cemetery, beaches, fields and ditches between Easington and Skeffling, and even as far as Welwick.”
She described the terrain as hazardous, recalling how she fell into a concealed ditch while searching. “It just shows how easily someone could fall and how difficult it would be to get back out.”
Liz has also printed and distributed posters and shared updates across social media groups in Hull and Holderness to raise awareness.
Drone operator Craig Marriott has been flying regular missions over the area, capturing high-resolution aerial images and scanning the landscape for signs of movement or disturbance.
“I’ve been doing as many drone flights as I can, weather permitting,” he said. “I’ve developed scan patterns and compared images with known scale references to help identify anything unusual. So far there have been a few false alarms, but no confirmed sightings.”
Anyone with information that could help in the search for Malcolm is urged to contact Humberside Police on 101, quoting log 177 of June 4.