CHILLING LAST CCTV OF MISSING TEENAGER RELEASED 30 YEARS LATER — POLICE SAY HE COULD STILL BE ALIVE

For three decades, one family has lived with a question that has never been answered: What happened to 16-year-old Damien Nettles?

The teenager vanished after a night out with friends in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, on November 2, 1996. He was last seen walking alone along the town’s High Street shortly after midnight.

Now, on the 30th anniversary of his disappearance, police have released renewed details of his final known movements and are appealing for anyone with information to finally come forward.

Despite years of investigation, multiple searches and nine arrests, nobody has been charged in connection with his disappearance.

And in a remarkable detail, detectives say they have never ruled out the possibility that Damien could still be alive.

His final night began like an ordinary evening out

Damien, known to friends as “Damo,” was 16 and living with his family in Gurnard.

On the evening of November 2, 1996, his father dropped him off at a friend’s house in West Cowes at around 7:30 p.m.

The two teenagers later travelled across the River Medina to East Cowes, where they spent time with friends and attended a house party.

They returned to West Cowes at approximately 10:15 p.m. and eventually went to the Fountain Inn.

At around 10:45 p.m., Damien and his friend went their separate ways near the junction of Terminus Road and Granville Road.

Over the following hour, Damien was reportedly seen at several locations around Cowes High Street.

Then came the CCTV footage that would become one of the most important pieces of evidence in the case.

The final CCTV images

At approximately 11:40 p.m., Damien entered Yorkies fish and chip shop on Cowes High Street.

A security camera recorded him waiting to be served.

Around ten minutes later, he was reportedly seen near a bus stop on Carvel Lane, apparently trying to take a photograph with a disposable camera.

His final confirmed sighting came shortly after midnight.

He was seen walking alone along Cowes High Street in the direction of Gurnard, apparently eating the chips he had bought.

Then he disappeared.

He never arrived home, and no confirmed sighting of him has been established since that night.

Nine arrests — but nobody charged

Over the years, investigators have explored numerous possibilities and followed up a significant number of leads.

According to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, nine people have been arrested at different stages of the investigation. All were subsequently released without charge and no further action was taken against them.

Fourteen people of interest have also been identified and later eliminated from the investigation.

The scale of the inquiry is considerable:

• More than 1,100 people have been involved in the investigation in various capacities.
• More than 2,500 documents have been reviewed.
• Approximately 360 witness statements have been processed.
• Searches have taken place at 20 locations, including areas of water.

Despite those efforts, investigators have never established what happened after Damien’s final confirmed sighting.

Police have stressed that this remains a missing-person investigation, rather than a confirmed murder case.

Could Damien still be alive?

One of the most striking aspects of the latest police appeal is that officers are keeping an open mind about what may have happened.

Detectives say Damien could still be alive.

He may also have suffered an accident or been injured and died. Police have not ruled out the possibility of third-party involvement, including murder or other foul play.

However, investigators have emphasized that they have found no evidence proving that Damien fell into the water or that he was murdered.

The renewed appeal is not based on a newly discovered breakthrough. Instead, police are using the 30th anniversary to reach people who may have information they have never previously shared.

Even a small, factual detail could potentially help detectives reconstruct the events of that night.

His mother has never stopped waiting

For Damien’s family, the passing years have brought no real closure.

His mother, Valerie, has continued campaigning for answers and urging anyone who knows something to speak up.

In a statement released for the anniversary, she said:

“We have missed Damien every day for three decades.”

She explained that not knowing what happened to her son remains the most distressing part of the family’s experience.

Valerie described Damien as a kind and gentle teenager with a brilliant sense of humour.

He was interested in music, played guitar and trombone, and had formed a band with friends. He was also planning to continue his education and hoped to attend university.

His family remembers a teenager with plans for his future — someone who had given no indication that he intended to disappear.

Today, Damien would be 46 years old.

Police make another appeal for answers

Detective Inspector Howard Broadribb said investigators had recently reviewed intelligence gathered throughout the case and were prepared to examine any credible new information.

He believes someone may still hold a piece of information that could help solve the mystery.

Anyone who knew Damien, saw him that night, or has information they have never previously shared is being urged to contact Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary.

The case remains open under the name Operation Ridgewood.

Thirty years have passed since Damien walked down Cowes High Street and vanished.

His family is still waiting. And investigators are still asking the same question:

What happened to Damo after he walked away that night?