Parents’ fury over delay in reporting son missing

Parents’ fury over delay in reporting son missing

The family of a missing soldier has accused the Army of failing to act promptly, claiming the two-week gap in awareness could have jeopardized their son’s life. L/Cpl Ryan Rudd, 28, was last spotted at the New Inn in Selby on 15 February, after which he did not return to his barracks at Catterick Garrison. His parents, Ken and Kerstin Rudd from Pocklington, only learned of his absence when a senior officer contacted them on 1 March, seeking confirmation of his whereabouts.

“We were unaware he hadn’t come back for two weeks. It was shocking, we couldn’t believe it was happening,” Kerstin Rudd said.

Ken Rudd explained he had assumed Ryan was back on base as usual, adding that the Army’s systems, including roll calls, should have tracked his location. “They are meant to cross-check if soldiers are on a course, not on a course, or where they are,” he said. “He didn’t get cross-checked two Mondays in a row. That put the police two weeks behind in finding my son.”

The Army stated it had reported Ryan missing to North Yorkshire Police on 1 March 2026, with an investigation ongoing. “We are working closely with the police to determine what occurred,” the statement added. The parents emphasized they believed Ryan would not have vanished voluntarily, noting his habit of returning home after outings. “He was enjoying his time in the Army,” Kerstin said, expressing concern over the lack of evidence about his disappearance.

North Yorkshire Police have said they remain open to various possibilities, including the chance Ryan entered the River Ouse. The couple hopes sharing their account might trigger memories from locals in Selby. “If anyone there was around at the time and hadn’t heard Ryan was missing, even a small detail could help,” Kerstin added.

Ken Rudd described his frustration with the Army’s oversight. “For missing those two weeks and not knowing where he was, this has potentially cost my son his life,” he said. The pair stressed that Ryan had been with a friend from another unit, who was on a course for two weeks. They questioned whether their son had reached out to anyone during that time.

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