Wrightsville Beach police say missing 19-year-old has been found
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — A 19-year-old man reported missing from Wrightsville Beach earlier this month has been found safe, according to the Wrightsville Beach Police Department.
Police say Robert Augusta Shirah was located Wednesday on Interstate 140 near the Castle Hayne exit by the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.
Shirah had been reported missing Oct. 18 after disappearing while visiting Wrightsville Beach with his family.
His parents, Stephen and Mary Shirah of Summerville, South Carolina, had traveled to the area with Robert and his younger sister to visit relatives.
The family told WWAY they returned to a home on Sea Oats Lane after visiting the beach the night before Robert disappeared. His mother said the family went to bed around 10:30 p.m. and noticed the next morning that he was gone.
Wrightsville Beach police previously said Shirah was seen crossing the Heide Trask Drawbridge at 12:47 a.m. Oct. 18. Investigators later said he was spotted near the intersection of Eastwood Road and Racine Drive in Wilmington around 1:48 a.m.
Possible sightings were also reported in Whiteville, Fair Bluff and Myrtle Beach, though police said those sightings had not been confirmed.
Shirah’s parents had offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to his safe return and had publicly urged him to come home.
Police say Shirah’s family has been notified and is expected to reunite with him.
Wrightsville Beach police also thanked the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office and other local, regional and state agencies in North Carolina and South Carolina that assisted in the search.
