It has been nine weeks since Janine Wilbraham has seen her son Ashley, but she refuses to give up hope that he is out there
It has been over two months since 38-year-old Ashley Wilbraham disappeared while on a family trip to Borth, but his family are refusing to give up hope that he will be found.
Ashley was last seen at around 6.45pm on Sunday, February 23, at Ynyslas Beach, after a family outing. His disappearance has left his loved ones in a state of confusion and heartbreak, as they struggle to understand what happened that evening.
Speaking with WalesOnline, Ashley’s mother, Janine, explained that the whole situation is completely out of character for her son. “Ashley is a very happy person. He had a lot to look forward to—he was excited about going to the Crufts Dog Fair the following week, his daughter’s 14th birthday was just around the corner, and we were planning a holiday to Ireland in May. He had even talked about learning to cook steak for his father.
“There was no indication of any mental health issues. Of course he would get stressed from time to time, but it was nothing out of the ordinary,” Janine said. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here
The Wilbraham family, who are from Rhayader, had travelled to Borth for their annual holiday, staying in a rental property they had used for years. But what was supposed to be a relaxing trip turned into an unimaginable nightmare.
Janine recounts the events of that Sunday: “It was myself, Ashley, his two children, my other granddaughter, and my sister Sandie. We arrived on Saturday, went out for a meal, and everything seemed normal. On Sunday, we decided to take the dogs for a walk, went down to the shops, and the man at the shop told Ashley they were showing the Liverpool game at the Cambrian Coast caravan park.”
Ashley went to watch the game at 5pm with his 15-year-old son, while Janine stayed at the house with her granddaughters and sister. They agreed to pick them up when they were ready, as the weather had turned stormy. “I know Ashley spoke to a friend around 5.30 pm and he was absolutely elated watching the match. He and his son were the only people left in the bar, except for two workers. Everything was fine.”
Janine continued, “Ashley is not a big drinker. He never really went to the pub and would only really drink on occasions with friends. That night, though, I know he had mixed his drinks – whiskey and cider. Looking back, I wonder if that had anything to do with it.” After the game, Ashley and his son left the restaurant. According to staff, they were in good spirits, with CCTV showing them laughing and dancing as they walked away.
However, things took a troubling turn shortly after. Around 6.45 pm, Ashley called his mother for a lift back to the rental property from a bus stop near Ynyslas Beach, explaining that he had forgotten his coat at the restaurant. When Janine’s sister, Sandie, and her granddaughters arrived to pick them up, Ashley was waiting for them… but his son was nowhere to be found.
“There had been a small argument between them, probably about the football,” Janine said. “Then Ashley started to get agitated as he started to wonder where his daughter was. He couldn’t seem to comprehend that he had left his daughter behind at the house. That is so unlike him – I do think that was the drink having an effect. That’s when his son ran away, towards the beach.
“When my sister found Ashley at the bus stop, he was absolutely distraught. He jumped into the car to go looking for his son, but my sister was unfamiliar with the beach and didn’t take the right turning. As they drove further away from the beach, Ashley became more and more upset. It was like a psychotic episode—he wasn’t himself. He jumped out of the car and started running up the dunes trying to find his son.”
Minutes later, the family found Ashley’s son safe and well, but there was no sign of Ashley. The police were called that night, and the search for him began immediately.
Janine said, “Because he had been drinking, he was vulnerable. He had gone to pieces in the car and that has never happened before. He wouldn’t have entered the sea willingly, but maybe he fell, hit his head and was swept away? Or maybe he bumped his head and lost all of his memories? Maybe someone We just don’t know.”
The weather that evening posed a significant challenge to the search efforts. Due to the severity of the conditions, police were unable to deploy helicopters that night, and the coastguards were unable to send a boat out. The family, however, travelled from Rhayader to help search the area that evening with night vision cameras.
The search for Ashley continues, with family members and police appealing to the public for any information. The family’s distress has only deepened as the days go by with no answers. Ashley is described as approximately 6’2ft tall, of thin build, with brown hair. On the day he went missing, he was wearing blue jeans, a blue checked shirt, and black leather shoes.
Following his disappearance, Dyfed-Powys Police asked residents to check nearby buildings. In a statement, they said: “Police are asking residents to check their outbuildings, such as garages and sheds, as well as any vacant caravans in the area, in case Ashley has sought shelter.
“We are also asking the public to be extra vigilant and report any abandoned clothing to police to determine whether it belongs to Ashley, and to check and review CCTV cameras, ring video doorbells, GoPros, dash cam footage, or any other source of video imagery that may capture Ashley in and around the area.”
Janine shared the toll Ashley’s disappearance has taken on their family: “His daughter is really struggling. His son is holding onto hope that he is still out there and will be coming home. It’s knocked his siblings back too – they can’t believe it, we are a really close knit family.
“My partner went to the shop the other day, and one of the workers said to him: ‘I can’t believe what has happened with Ash.’ Ashley is honestly the friendliest person. He made friends with everyone he met, he would open doors for people—that’s just the way he was.
“The community can’t get over it. We can’t get over it. We have no answers.”
Despite the heartbreaking uncertainty, Janine and her family are determined to continue searching for answers. “I’m terrified whenever the doorbell goes or the phone rings that it’s the police with the news we don’t want to hear. But at this point, we just want to know where he is,” Janine said.
A spokesperson from Dyfed-Powys Police added: “We are continuing with enquiries into the whereabouts of Ashley and would appeal for anyone who has seen Ashley or anyone with information to come forward. Police can be contacted either online at: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908. Quote reference: 369 of the 23rd February.”
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