Search underway for missing student
Police are looking for Frederik Vanclooster, a 21-year-old student, who went missing in Vilvoorde (Flemish Brabant) after a New Year’s Eve party.
Frederik was last seen at the party in the Kruitfabriek on the Steenkaai, a quay in Vilvoorde, around 3AM. The federal police missing persons’ unit is on the case. They are helping local police to search the area with boats and a helicopter. Helicopters couldn’t be used yesterday due to the fog, but that has now cleared. Volunteers too have joined the search that started yesterday spontaneously.
Alain Remue is co-ordinating the search and is now concentrating on the canal. A boat equipped with sonar is being used. Remue says that with all that has happened so far, if Frederik had been on land he would have been found. “This is very ominous. I have spoken with the parents. The longer it takes, the less chance there is of a positive outcome. Frederik isn’t the youngster who would fail to come home.”
The search was suspended towards evening on Thursday but will resume on Friday.
Frederik is 1m94 tall and of normal build. He has brown hair and was wearing round spectacles. At the time of his disappearance he was wearing brown trousers, a blue chequered shirt, a grey jumper and a dark blue winter coat.
