Essex Police obtain new CCTV footage in search for Brazilian academic
Officers are reviewing newly secured CCTV covering Brightlingsea harbour
Essex Police have obtained new CCTV footage as the search for a missing Brazilian academic continues.
Vitoria Figueiredo Barreto, 30, was reported missing on the 4th of March and has not been in contact with loved ones since the day before when she was at Essex University in Colchester.
The Brazilian psychologist made a 30-minute bus journey from Wivenhoe to the coastal town of Brightlingsea on the afternoon of March 3 where she possibly unmoored a boat hours later.
In an update on Tuesday, Essex Police said new CCTV footage covering the harbour area shows a number of vessels on the water “as part of regular marine work patterns” between 12am and 6am on March 4.
The force added there is still no clear footage to be able to conclusively say it was Ms Barreto who unmoored one of the boats, but that they know she was seen walking alone by the waterfront at 12.16am after climbing over a nearby fence.
The vessel did not appear to have had its engine started and drifted out before it was found in the water close to Bradwell-on-Sea later that morning, police continued.
Detective Superintendent Anna Granger said: “Today, we’re urging anyone who was working in Brightlingsea harbour or returning from work to the harbour between 12am and 6am to please come forward.
“Appreciating this will have been in darkness, did you see a lone individual unmooring a boat from a pontoon or appearing to be acting out of character in the area? Did you see anything which made you stop and think? Or something you may not have expected to see at that time of night and early morning?
“We’ve made a promise to Vitoria’s family that we will follow every reasonable lead. So, please, if you were on the water working in this time period, please come forward and speak to us.”
People are urged to report real time sightings by calling 999.