Household of youngster lacking since 2020 ‘baffled’ by video of her strolling into fog, providing reward
The household of a North Carolina teen who vanished from the Golden Gate Bridge almost three years in the past is providing a reward for info, as surveillance footage of her final actions has left investigators and family members “baffled.”
Sydney West, 19, was final seen on the enduring San Francisco landmark round 6:45 a.m. PT on Sept. 30, 2020. She was reported missing by her family in Orange County, North Carolina the next day.
“First off, it was 6:45, roughly, within the morning. Extraordinarily crowded. It was foggy, however she sort of disappears into the fog,” non-public investigator Scott Dudek told Fox News Digital this week of the final recognized footage of West.
The video, which can be obscured by smoke from close by wildfires, was initially considered shortly after West went lacking, a consultant for the household informed The Submit. Dudek, nonetheless, believes police have wrongly “given up” on the case as a result of they imagine the teenager died by suicide.
“You’d assume if any individual went and crawled up on the rails with all these individuals and bike riders, any individual would have both known as … or any individual would have tried to speak to her and attempt to come ahead with all that publicity, and that by no means occurred,” he mentioned of the footage.
West’s household lived in California earlier than transferring to Chapel Hill, NC, Fox mentioned. On the time of her disappearance, the teenager was staying with household mates within the Bay Space after deferring her plans to review on the College of California, Berkeley till the next fall.
West’s mom, Kimberly, mentioned she struggled with on-line studying as a result of COVID-19 after sustaining a critical concussion over the summer season.
“Earlier than she went out [to California], she was having a very onerous time with display time. She wasn’t presupposed to be doing any display time, however this was the autumn of 2020, and lessons had been fully digital,” Kimberly defined.
“So, every little thing was on the pc…and she or he simply she mentioned she couldn’t do it.”
West reportedly felt remoted and lonely within the wake of her choice, however her household is pushing again on the San Francisco Police Division’s 2020 evaluation that she was “in danger as a result of melancholy.”
“There have been lots of people on the bridge that morning, in order that’s what continues to baffle us,” Kimberly mentioned of the video footage.
“Plenty of individuals have been like, ‘Properly, it’s apparent what occurred. She was on the Golden Gate Bridge,’” West’s father, Jay, added.
The Golden Gate Bridge is without doubt one of the world’s most well-known suicide spots. Final yr, the Los Angeles Times reported {that a} staggering 1,800 fatalities could be linked to the landmark – greater than another bridge within the nation.
“However…her being my daughter and understanding how she feels about her sister and about her household and all the issues that she was wanting ahead to and…all of the issues that she would get to expertise…I simply discover it [hard to believe] she would simply depart all of that,” Jay, who spoke to his daughter the night time earlier than her disappearence, famous.
In line with her mom, West’s pursuits included science, artwork, music and sports activities.
The household is providing a $25,000 reward for info resulting in West’s restoration, by the official Find Sydney West website.
Although not one of the tons of of suggestions in two-and-half years have panned out, West’s family members stay hopeful.
“That’s what we proceed to hope — that there was any individual who possibly doesn’t even understand they noticed one thing,” Kimberly informed the outlet.
Sydney West is 5’10” and weighed about 130 kilos on the time of his disappearance. She was final seen carrying darkish leggings, a teal hoodie, and Vans sneakers along with her hair in a bun.
The San Francisco Police Division didn’t instantly reply to The Submit’s request for a remark.