BRITISH STUDENT, 23, VANISHES AFTER LISBON PARTY BOAT — PHONE LOCATION FREEZES AS FAMILY FEARS HE WAS TAKEN

A dream family holiday in Portugal has turned into a desperate race against time after a 23-year-old British university student mysteriously vanished following a late-night party boat trip in Lisbon.

Julian Amaral, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, was enjoying a family holiday when he joined the Vida De Jovem party boat with his 24-year-old cousin.

Hours later, he was gone.

And now his family is desperately trying to understand what happened during the few minutes surrounding his disappearance.

HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO THE TOILET

Julian was aboard the boat during an all-white party on the Tagus River.

At around 11:25 p.m., he reportedly told his cousin that he was going to the toilet.

He headed downstairs toward a urinal in the basement area of the vessel.

But he never returned.

At almost exactly the same time, Julian’s phone location reportedly froze.

The location was showing him in the middle of the ocean — a detail that has left his family deeply concerned, although it has not been established whether the phone location accurately reflected his whereabouts.

As the boat approached Lisbon, his cousin eventually realized Julian had been missing for some time.

He began searching for him and alerted other relatives.

The family rushed to the area where the boat had docked and began looking through nearby bars, clubs, restaurants and streets.

But Julian was nowhere to be found.

THEN CAME THE STRANGEST CLUE

The family initially feared Julian might still have been somewhere around the boat.

Police searched the vessel.

There was no sign of him.

But several people reportedly told investigators or the family that they had seen Julian leave the boat when it returned to Lisbon.

Two security guards were among those who reportedly saw him disembark.

Another witness later contacted Julian’s sister and claimed she had spoken with him and also saw him leave the vessel.

That detail has created an especially confusing question:

If Julian left the boat, where did he go next?

Portuguese police have been investigating the disappearance, including checks at nearby hospitals.

HIS SISTER FEARS HE MAY HAVE BEEN TAKEN

Julian’s sister Jennifer Amaral, 34, has now publicly shared her fears.

She believes someone may have taken her brother.

Jennifer stressed that Julian does not speak Portuguese and is unfamiliar with Lisbon, making the situation even more worrying for his relatives.

But her theory remains just that — a family theory.

There has been no public confirmation from police that Julian was abducted.

Authorities are continuing to establish what happened after he disappeared.

HIS FAMILY SAYS THIS IS COMPLETELY OUT OF CHARACTER

For Julian’s relatives, the most frightening part is how unusual his disappearance is.

They say he is normally self-sufficient and would seek help if he found himself in trouble.

His family also says he has a close relationship with his relatives and would not simply disappear without contacting them.

Jennifer described him as kind-hearted, friendly, bubbly and personable.

She said he has a bright future ahead of him and is deeply loved by his family.

His nieces and nephews are also said to be struggling with his disappearance.

POLICE INVESTIGATION INTENSIFIES

The disappearance has now moved beyond the initial missing-person response.

Portuguese authorities have been conducting inquiries, while maritime police have been searching areas around the Tagus River.

The investigation has also included contact with hospitals.

Reports say the case moved into a criminal investigation after the 24-hour period had passed, although that does not mean authorities have concluded that a crime occurred.

The family is also planning to continue checking hospitals themselves as they desperately search for answers.

Authorities have not publicly established whether Julian entered the water, left the area on foot, met someone after leaving the boat, or was taken somewhere against his will.

For now, all of those possibilities remain unresolved.

A FAMILY’S DESPERATE APPEAL

Julian’s relatives are asking anyone who attended the boat party — or anyone who may have been near the Lisbon docks that night — to come forward with information.

Even a brief sighting could potentially help investigators reconstruct Julian’s movements.

His family is especially eager to identify what happened in the crucial period between the moment he reportedly went to the toilet and the moment witnesses say they saw him leave the boat.

That gap may hold the key.

For now, Julian remains missing.

A young man who boarded a party boat with his cousin during what was supposed to be a family holiday has disappeared into a mystery that his loved ones cannot explain.

And as the search continues across Lisbon and the Tagus River, his family is holding onto one hope above everything else:

That Julian will be found safe and brought home.