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The Advocate
By CAITLIN HEATHCOTE
Sept. 18, 2012
A FEW days before he went missing, Andrew John Jarman called his mother to wish her a happy birthday.
Former Launceston resident Mr Jarman has been missing since August 19 when he failed to return home from a bike ride in the Warrawee Reserve at Latrobe.
Mr Jarman’s father, Phillip, said it was usual for his son to take his bike on the weekend and said he usually took part in at least a 45-minute ride on Sundays.
He said it was unusual for his son not to let anyone know where he was going and for him not to return when he said he would.
“He always told us where he was going,” Mr Jarman said.
Mr Jarman said his son had been living at Latrobe for about five months at a rehabilitation facility, where he received treatment for alcohol addiction and was on medication for depression.
Since his son’s disappearance, Mr Jarman said his family had all banded together to try to get through the difficult period.
Mr Jarman said he had thought a million times about what might have happened to his son, but said he tried not to think the worst.
“Not knowing is the worst part about it. You try not to think the worst, but you do start having these strange thoughts.”
Mr Jarman and his wife have taken the trip to Latrobe several times to meet with police and, initially, to stage their own search party.
“We came up and looked in all the rivers and the ponds with a hook, just to see if we could snag anything,” Mr Jarman said.
“We thought that if something had happened then maybe they (the offender) had thrown the bike in.”
Mr Jarman said he and his family were appealing for any witnesses to come forward with any information on either his son or the bike he was riding.
“We just want to find out what happened to Andrew.”
Mr Jarman wanted to thank the police at Latrobe for their continued support and said he had been impressed with their conduct and for keeping them informed.
Tasmania Police requests anyone with information relating to the possible whereabouts of Mr Jarman or his bicycle, or who may have been riding in the Warrawee Reserve on August 19 between 3-5pm. to phone 131444 or contact CrimeStoppers on 1800333000. A reward of up to is on offer for information that goes through CrimeStoppers.
According to a missing persons site, Mr Jarman is still missing as of Nov. 22, 2015.