“HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO THE TOILET — THEN HE VANISHED” — BRITISH STUDENT, 23, DISAPPEARS FROM LISBON PARTY BOAT AS SISTER FEARS HE MAY HAVE BEEN TAKEN

A British university student vanished during a family holiday in Lisbon after telling his cousin he was going to the toilet.

Then, somehow, he disappeared.

Julian Amaral, 23, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, had been enjoying a family trip to Portugal when he joined a late-night party aboard the Vida De Jovem — a boat hosting a large white-themed celebration on the Tagus River.

But when the party ended and the vessel returned to Lisbon, Julian was nowhere to be found.

His family has now launched a desperate search for answers.

And his sister fears something far more disturbing may have happened.

THE LAST MOMENTS ON THE BOAT

Julian had boarded the party boat with his cousin as the family enjoyed their holiday in Portugal.

According to his relatives, shortly before the vessel returned to Lisbon, Julian told his cousin that he was going to the toilet.

He went downstairs.

But he never came back.

His cousin initially assumed he was still somewhere on the boat.

As the vessel approached the dock, however, concern began to grow.

Julian could not be found among the passengers.

Family members and other partygoers began looking for him.

The boat eventually docked at Rocha Conde de Óbidos in Lisbon.

But Julian was still missing.

Two security guards reportedly saw him leave the vessel.

What happened immediately afterward remains unclear.

THEN HIS PHONE STOPPED GIVING ANSWERS

One of the most troubling details for his relatives was his phone.

The device became unresponsive around the time Julian disappeared.

Earlier reports said the last available location created confusion for the family, with location information apparently pointing toward the river area.

His phone has since been switched off, leaving investigators and relatives without one of the simplest ways to trace his movements.

Julian also does not know Lisbon well and does not speak Portuguese.

For his family, that makes the disappearance even more alarming.

They fear he could have found himself somewhere unfamiliar without knowing how to communicate or ask for help.

“I REALLY THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE FOUND HIM BY NOW”

Julian’s sister Jennifer Amaral, 34, said the family had expected him to be found quickly.

Instead, the hours passed.

Then more time passed.

And there was still no sign of him.

Jennifer has publicly shared her fears that Julian may have been taken.

She believes he could have been vulnerable because he was unfamiliar with the area and did not speak the local language.

But that remains the family’s theory.

There has been no confirmed evidence publicly establishing that Julian was abducted.

Authorities are still working to determine exactly what happened after he left the boat.

THE SEARCH SPREADS ACROSS LISBON

Portuguese police quickly became involved after Julian was reported missing.

The missing-persons team of Lisbon’s Criminal Investigation Division began carrying out inquiries, including contacting hospitals to determine whether he had been admitted after leaving the vessel.

The Portuguese Maritime Police have also been searching along the Tagus River.

As the investigation continued, the case was reportedly escalated into a criminal investigation after the first 24 hours.

That does not mean authorities have established that a crime occurred.

It means investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding Julian’s disappearance more closely.

THE FAMILY SEARCHED EVERYWHERE THEY COULD

Julian’s relatives did not simply wait for authorities.

They began searching themselves.

They checked nearby bars, clubs, streets and other locations where they believed he might have gone after leaving the boat.

Hospitals were also contacted.

The family has continued appealing for anyone who may have seen Julian to come forward, even if the sighting seemed insignificant at the time.

A single detail — a photograph, a brief encounter, a location or a conversation — could potentially help investigators reconstruct his movements.

WHO IS JULIAN?

To his family, Julian is much more than a missing-person case.

They describe him as friendly, kind-hearted and full of personality.

He is particularly loved by his nieces and nephews and is described as someone who is deeply connected to his family.

That is why his disappearance has been so difficult for those closest to him to understand.

His relatives say he had every reason to return to the family after the boat party.

Instead, he simply vanished.

A NIGHT THAT SHOULD HAVE ENDED NORMALLY

There is still no confirmed explanation for what happened after Julian left the boat.

He may have walked away from the dock.

He may have become disoriented.

He may have encountered someone.

Or there may be another explanation investigators have not yet made public.

At this stage, none of those possibilities can be treated as fact.

What is known is painfully simple:

Julian boarded a party boat with his cousin.

He told his cousin he was going to the toilet.

He was later seen leaving the vessel.

And then the trail disappeared.

His family is now desperately hoping that the next piece of information will finally reveal where he went.

For Jennifer and the rest of the family, the message is clear.

They are not giving up.

They want Julian home.

And they are asking anyone who may have seen the 23-year-old in Lisbon that night to speak up.

Because somewhere between the lights of a party boat and the streets of Lisbon, a young man disappeared — and his family is still waiting for him to walk back through the door.