Could Madeleine have been abducted by boat?

[ShiningInLuz]

Was Amy George's daughter?  So she could be Amy Burke or Amy Brooks or Amy Burke Brooks.  I wonder if she is still in PdL. 
@SiL do you know this person?

Not personally as I don't know anyone called Amy.

But I know lots of people without knowing their names.  My family might know her.  And we have friends and contacts who might know her.

However the Madeleine topic is highly unpopular in Luz, so making enquiries is like trying to push water uphill.

[sadie]

Next report:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-496909/I-saw-Madeleine-dragged-marina-says-new-witness.html

Quote: "'I saw Madeleine being dragged towards the marina,' says new witness
Last updated at 10:11 28 November 2007


A British businessman has come forward and claimed that he saw Madeleine McCann only eight hours after she went missing as she was dragged towards a Portuguese port by a "suspicious-looking" man and woman.
The British expat, George Burke said he saw a girl who looked "remarkably like Madeleine" being dragged along a road leading to Lagos marina at 6am on May 4th.

Although Burke reported the sighting to Portuguese police at the time, it has taken until now for his account to be taken seriously, according to the McCanns' private detectives, Metodo 3.

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Madeleine
Mr Burke, who is originally from Liverpool but now lives in Portugal, said he saw the suspicious couple as he drove past the marina early on the morning after Madeleine went missing.

He told the Daily Mirror: "It was very, very dark and it was hard to make out exactly what the couple looked like. But through the gloom I could see a very suspicious-looking man and woman, with a child who fitted Madeleine's description.

"Though there was nobody else on the road, they were hurrying across a road that leads straight to the train station and marina."

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marina
The McCanns have said in the past that they believe that their daughter was taken by sea, possibly to Morocco or elsewhere in North Africa.

A source said: "The private investigators are now concentrating on Lagos and the marina.

"What Mr Burke saw could be incredibly valuable.

"He was concerned enough to call the police and they eventually followed up on his information.

"Now the investigators want to talk to Mr Burke. There is a strong chance Madeleine was taken by boat from the marina and is still alive somewhere."" End quote.

Not much to go on.

Let's not forget that there is a railway station at that Lagos Port too.

[sadie]

Let's not forget that there is a railway station at that Lagos Port too.

Also that a boat was taken out of Lagos marina before the port gate were closed at IIRC 8pm.

It was moored in the kind of canal which links the Port and Marina to the Ocean.   Where ever it was going, it was on "stand by".

Possibly quite innocent but worth noting.

[G-Unit]

There is no doubt according to the dates that the sighting was in the files at the beginning of May 2007.

There is no doubt that it was not followed until the Rebelo investigation made the attempt to do so in December  of that year.

No wonder the whole issue is mired in confusion.

The sighting was reported to Leicestershire Police (not the PJ) on 4th May 2007 by 'family to the McCann's'. When the PJ received the information isn't clear.

So while the 'family to the McCanns' were still in the UK on 4th May they knew about this sighting, knew 'George's' phone number in Portugal and reported it to LP.

How did that happen, I wonder? How did 'George' get in touch with the family and why? All he had to do was speak to the PJ.

[Brietta]

The sighting was reported to Leicestershire Police (not the PJ) on 4th May 2007 by 'family to the McCann's'. When the PJ received the information isn't clear.

So while the 'family to the McCanns' were still in the UK on 4th May they knew about this sighting, knew 'George's' phone number in Portugal and reported it to LP.

How did that happen, I wonder? How did 'George' get in touch with the family and why? All he had to do was speak to the PJ.

The sighting was known about by the Portuguese investigators if the files are anything to go by ...

http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/ap/A1_5/apenso5_vol_1_Page4.jpg

DIC ... Departamento de Investigação Criminal de Portimão - Polícia Judiciária

[sadie]

The sighting was reported to Leicestershire Police (not the PJ) on 4th May 2007 by 'family to the McCann's'. When the PJ received the information isn't clear.

So while the 'family to the McCanns' were still in the UK on 4th May they knew about this sighting, knew 'George's' phone number in Portugal and reported it to LP.

How did that happen, I wonder? How did 'George' get in touch with the family and why? All he had to do was speak to the PJ.

Perhaps he was frightened of contacting the PJ/

Robert Murats Mum set up her desk for info, she said, because people might feel more at ease speaking to her than the PJ

[Brietta]

Perhaps he was frightened of contacting the PJ/

Robert Murats Mum set up her desk for info, she said, because people might feel more at ease speaking to her than the PJ

What I don't understand is that something about it must have been in the public domain to precipitate Manuel Martins email to the Policia Judicairia dated 8th May 2007.

Snip
I have followed the case in the press as I live in the Algarve. However my attention has been drawn by the news that an English citizen (George Burke) who returned to the village in the morning from Lagos and who says that he saw a couple with a child at about 06.00. Would this person not be suspicious due to being from the village and be returning 7 seven hours after the events? Please excuse my boldness and if I am bringing false accusations due to lack of information, I apologise again but feel that I have to share my preoccupation. I hope this does not make you lose time.
Good luck

Was sending the email prompted by anecdotal evidence?  Although the press is mentioned, was it reported at the time?  I don't recall seeing anything at the time and now so much 'old stuff' has been removed it is difficult to track what was and wasn't reported.

[ShiningInLuz]

If you look up the Pizza Hut in Lagos, it has one entrance facing the train station.  There is another on the first floor above the marina.

This information comes from Google, and is dated Aug 2009.  Personally, I doubt the business relocated between May 2007 and Aug 2009, but I cannot be bothered digging further.

One Pizza hut, one marina, one train station.

[Eleanor]

Could that boat, or any boat have gone to the area off Luz Beach and picked up Madeleine from there?  Smithman was heading in that direction.

[G-Unit]

What I don't understand is that something about it must have been in the public domain to precipitate Manuel Martins email to the Policia Judicairia dated 8th May 2007.

Snip
I have followed the case in the press as I live in the Algarve. However my attention has been drawn by the news that an English citizen (George Burke) who returned to the village in the morning from Lagos and who says that he saw a couple with a child at about 06.00. Would this person not be suspicious due to being from the village and be returning 7 seven hours after the events? Please excuse my boldness and if I am bringing false accusations due to lack of information, I apologise again but feel that I have to share my preoccupation. I hope this does not make you lose time.
Good luck

Was sending the email prompted by anecdotal evidence?  Although the press is mentioned, was it reported at the time?  I don't recall seeing anything at the time and now so much 'old stuff' has been removed it is difficult to track what was and wasn't reported.

On 5th May Burke's story was in the Mail, the Sun and Sky also reported it.
http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/Nigel/id399.htm

[G-Unit]

If you look up the Pizza Hut in Lagos, it has one entrance facing the train station.  There is another on the first floor above the marina.

This information comes from Google, and is dated Aug 2009.  Personally, I doubt the business relocated between May 2007 and Aug 2009, but I cannot be bothered digging further.

One Pizza hut, one marina, one train station.

It's not the Pizza place where Amy worked though. That was Pizza Real, Rua da Praia in Luz.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/GEORGE_BURKE_BROOKS.htm

[Robittybob1]

Let's not forget that there is a railway station at that Lagos Port too.

OK but doesn't your theory have the same problem then too.  If Madeleine went to Porta did she get there by boat or rail?
If this George Brooks sighting has anything to do with it a good assumption would be to think they needed a boat or the rail, but not a road vehicle as they likely had one of these to get from PdL to Lagos in the first place.

[Robittybob1]

Could that boat, or any boat have gone to the area off Luz Beach and picked up Madeleine from there?  Smithman was heading in that direction.

I would imagine that would be tricky at night time.

[Eleanor]

I would imagine that would be tricky at night time.

Not with a small dinghy it wouldn't

[Robittybob1]

dragged or carried?  in the above articles there were 10 instances of dragged and 6 instances of carry.

Can we have some discussion as to the state of the child?  Was it male or female?  Was it alive or dead? Was it being carried or dragged?

As I think when an animal is dead and you drag it, you drag it along the ground.  I don't think the impression was given of a child being dragged along the ground but on her feet, possibly resisting hence alive.

Had she been dead  and been carried there wouldn't be the implication of parents being mean etc.  Would you take a dead child on a train journey?  That is going to be noticed for sure.  If you are worried about being seen you can't go by train surely.