Search steps up for Corsham rugby player (From This Is Wiltshire)

Search steps up for Corsham rugby player

2:19pm Thursday 18th March 2010 in

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Bath Rugby stars have joined the search to find fellow South African Donavan Van Lill two weeks after he went missing from his home in Chippenham.

The 29-year-old fitness instructor disappeared from his home in Blackthorn Mews on March 3 – leaving behind his passport, mobile phone and wallet.

Friends of the Corsham rugby player have been raising awareness of his disappearance for the past 15 days through the Facebook group Please help find Donavan Van Lill, which has nearly 13,500 members.

His friend Melodie Snyman, 21, has enlisted the help of Bath fly-half Butch James, formerly of the Natal Sharks – a team Mr Van Lill supported when he lived in Durban.

Mr James and fellow South African Bath players Michael Claassens, Pieter Dixon and Luke Watson are glad to highlight the campaign to find Mr Van Lill.

Mr James said: “I can’t even begin to imagine what it would feel like to have a member of your family missing. If I was in the same situation, I would want all the help I could get.”

Melodie Snyman, who is working closely with Wiltshire Police in the search, met Mr van Lill through Facebook in 2007 after they realised they had both moved from South Africa to Chippenham.

She said: “The past two weeks have been very worrying – little sleep and a lot of organising, and just people helping everywhere.

“The support we’ve been getting from Bath Rugby has been great and the Facebook group is very positive.”

Police carried out a large-scale search for the father-of-two on Monday, but found no new leads.

On Tuesday officers and more than 40 volunteers from Wiltshire Search and Rescue combed footpaths and cycle routes on one of Mr Van Lill’s favourite running routes, from Chippenham to Lacock. Four groups spent several hours searching a one kilometre square area, covering Scotts Mill, The Wharf, Derry Farm and Middle Lodge Cottages.

The police helicopter was deployed on Saturday, and officers are continuing to carry out house-to-house inquiries.

Fears over Mr Van Lill’s safety were intensified following a rumour that a body had been found in Abbeyfield School grounds but police say this is not true.

Witnesses are urged to call the police on 0845 4087000.