'This is soul crushing:' Mom of Navy sailor, 21, who disappeared in thin air after leaving Illinois bar begs for help searching for her son as new footage is released
- Navy sailor Seamus Gray, 21, went missing on St. Patrick's Day in Illinois
- Gray's mother, Kerry, originally flew to Illinois after he went missing but has since returned to Florida where she has shared a series of posts
- In one post, she described the past week as 'grueling... and soul crushing'
The mother of a Navy sailor went missing from an Illinois bar on St. Patrick's Day has described the week since her son disappeared as 'grueling, nauseating, heartbreaking and quite honestly soul crushing.'
Seamus Gray, 21, disappeared from a bar in Waukegan, Illinois and was last seen in the early morning hours of March 18. His mother initially flew from Florida to help with the investigation.
Kerry Gray has documented her struggle in social media posts, writing: 'As I type this I'm trying not to throw up. I cannot sleep, and will not sleep until I have answers as to where my son is, and what happened to him.'
In surveillance footage, the Navy sailor is seen walking around in an alley by himself just hours before his family and friends reported him missing.
Waukegan Police Commander Scott Chastain has stated that Gray was seen in 'close proximity' to the harbor along Lake Michigan and that it's possible he may have ended up in the water.
Seamus Gray, 21, disappeared from a bar in Waukegan, Illinois and was last seen in the early morning hours of March 18. His mother Kerry Gray initially flew from Florida to help search
As I type this I'm trying not to throw up. I cannot sleep, and will not sleep until I have answers as to where my son is, and what happened to him,' Kerry Gray wrote on social media
In surveillance footage, the sailor is seen walking around by himself before he vanishes
Waukegan Police have spent the last several days searching Lake Michigan.
'If he is in the water and that is what happened, it may be days or weeks before the body would come back up,' Chastain said.
Investigators have also brought in back up crews and more than 100 Navy personnel have helped with land searches, as well, all which have come up empty.
In one post to social media, Kerry said she and a friend were taking part in the investigations and were searching dumpsters for her son's body.
'Tomorrow I have to to do what no mother should ever have to do. I have to go on a foot search with the Police Department, Fire Department and many others who will join in to find my son Séamus Grays body,' she wrote on March 23.
Police have said the 21-year-old has not been seen or spoken to since leaving the bar.
On Thursday, however, police released footage of Gray being involved in an altercation outside the Ibiza Nightclub in Waukegan before he vanished, according to FOX32.
Red flags were first raised after Gray, who was assigned to Naval Station Great Lakes 'did not report back at his assigned time.'
Waukegan Police have spent the last several days searching Lake Michigan
Investigators have also brought in back up crews and more than 100 Navy personnel have helped with land searches, as well, all which have come up empty
Gray's last known whereabout were inside a bar in Waukegan on the night of March 17
In one post to social media, Kerry said she and a friend were taking part in the investigations and were searching dumpsters for her son's body
'Tomorrow I have to to do what no mother should ever have to do. I have to go on a foot search with the Police Department, Fire Department and many others who will join in to find my son Séamus Grays body,' Kerry wrote on March 23
On Friday, the search of Lake Michigan, beaches, and woods were called off.
Kerry flew home to Florida over the weekend and said she is 'gutted' over having to leave without having found her son or his body.
'This boy is my heart, my world, my love of my life along with his little brother Deck,' Kerry wrote in a post.
The worried mother said she has not been able to sleep and won't be able to without answers as to where her son is or what happened to him.
Police said they have not given up on finding him even after they called off the search and will continue to look for the Navy sailor.
'Everybody is a little downhearted that they weren’t able to find him and put some kind of closure to this. We’re not going to stop our efforts in our investigation,' Chastain said.
'If we develop any other leads, we definitely will be coming back out if that’s what our leads takes us to. At this time though we just felt like we’ve hit everything we can," said the police official.
Heartbreaking, Kerry has asked her Facebook friends to not share the details of her son's disappearance with her younger son, Deck, 14.
'Please do not say this to my son Deck, he is 14 and doesn’t need to hear these details. Please pray that I can make it through this,' she wrote.
The mom has also said regardless of the outcome, she is proud of her son and 'the man he has become.'
'Séamus was willing to die serving and defending our Country. Séamus was not supposed to go missing or possible die this way,' Kerry wrote.
On Friday, the search of Lake Michigan, beaches, and woods were called off
'Everybody is a little downhearted that they weren’t able to find him and put some kind of closure to this. We’re not going to stop our efforts in our investigation,' one police official said
Police released footage of Gray walking hours before his disappearance hopes it would lead to tips regarding his whereabouts
Heartbreaking, Kerry has asked her Facebook friends to not share the details of her son's disappearance with her younger son
'Please do not say this to my son Deck, he is 14 and doesn’t need to hear these details. Please pray that I can make it through this,' Kerry wrote in a Facebook post
Seamus (left) with his younger brother Deck, 14
Gray was last seen wearing a pink-ish red shirt and matching pants.
The 21-year-old is 6 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds.
He has brown hair, blue eyes and tattoos on his left arm and rib cage.
Anyone with information is encouraged to reach out to the Waukegan Police Department at (847) 599-2608.
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