THE anguished wife of a South Yorkshire jet ski ace missing off the coast of Bali for two weeks says: "I know he is still alive."
Jacqui Hoyland has returned to Penistone after an 11-day search for her husband Jeremy who disappeared off the Indonesian island on Friday October 24.
The mum-of-two said her husband of 15 years was a "survivor" and she was confident he would be f
ound.
Jeremy, aged 41, was with three friends returning to Tanjung Benoa beach from the islet of Nusa Lembongan when one of the party fell back due to choppy water.
The ex-Penistone Grammar School pupil waited for him to catch up - but although the friend made it home Jeremy was not seen again.
He made two phone calls to a pal in Sheffield, the first to say his jet ski was having problems, and then that it was taking on water.
Jacqui, of Talbot Road, says she had spent £10,000 on the search including hiring helicopters to drop leaflets offering a US $10,000 reward on remote fishing villages. Jeremy's brother Nicholas and a friend remain in Indonesia.
She added: "I'm not sleeping properly, I can't do anything, I haven't eaten, I've just got to find him.
"I have a duty to him and to our children to bring him back. I have to stay strong for our children, I won't rest until I find him, absolutely not, no way.
"My gut feeling is he will be hanging on. He's a big, strong man, very sensible. Jet skis don't sink and if he's got to an island he will survive eating fruit and whatever's available. It's not unusual to find people weeks after they go missing. They end up stuck on an island."
Jeremy Hoyland is a leading light in the world of jet ski racing. He was in Bali as guest of the organisers of the Asian Games.
In his first call he reckoned he was about a mile from land. In his second it was out of sight.
Jacqui has met Barnsley MP Mick Clapham to urge the Government to provide expert help. Sir Richard Branson has spoken to the British ambassador in Indonesia on her behalf.
The couple have two children, Georgia, 11, and Ellena, 13.
Jacqui said they had been raising money for the search at their schools, St John's Juniors and Penistone Grammar.
What do you think? Add your comment below.READ MOREMain news indexYour lettersFeaturesSouth Yorkshire's environmental newsKids ZoneMore business newsMore Rotherham newsMore Doncaster newsMore Barnsley newsLatest sport.The full article contains 442 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
