The father of missing Trowbridge man Ben Garland says he still struggles to sleep four years after the search for his son ended.
Mark Garland, 59, still lives with the hope that Ben will one day be found and every year organises a charity fundraising event to keep his son’s name and memory alive.
“It’s the just not knowing that is the hardest thing,” said Mr Garland, a First Bus driver who lives in Frome Road, Southwick.
“To be honest I have come to accept he is not going to be found. I take comfort that he was not in a hospital suffering, or in a box.
“He was in a place that he loved and he is out there free.”
Ben was aged 24 when he vanished without trace and his 29th birthday was on Wednesday, July 24
Mr Garland was speaking ahead of his family and Ben’s friends organising their fourth Ride to the Tide motorcycle run to raise funds for the RNLI.
The 54-mile ride is being held in memory of Ben, who disappeared on January 21, 2020 near Portinatx on the northern coast of Ibiza.
He went out on his Harley Davidson motorcycle to video the waves after Storm Gloria and despite extensive searches by the Spanish police and coastguard his body has yet to be found.
Ben is believed to have been swept off the rocky coastline. Only his jacket, identity tags and watch have ever been found.
The Ride to the Tide: The Ben Garland Memorial Run will take place on Saturday, August 17, from Trowbridge Rugby Football Club to Poole Harbour in Dorset.
Mr Garland said: “We already have 90 people who have registered an interest and are hoping this year’s ride will be bigger than the previous rides.
“We hope to see lots of new faces this year.”
Last year’s Ride to the Tide raised £1,650 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, whose headquarters are based in Poole.
Riders will gather in the Trowbridge RFC car park at 10am before setting off at 11am. In previous years, more than 100 riders have taken part.
Bikers of all ages and abilities are welcome to take part. They will each be asked to pay £10 to join the ride.
To join the ride, visit https://facebook.com/events/s/ride-to-the-tide-the-ben-garla/3473887556231900/.
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