By Dawn Limbu, BBC News, West of England • Chloe Harcombe, BBC News, West of England • Joe Lemer, BBC Radio Bristol
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The mother of a British man who has gone missing while on holiday in Sardinia has launched a desperate plea to find her “sweet” son.
Michael Frison, from Chard, in Somerset, disappeared after leaving for a walk on the evening of Saturday 13 July in countryside near Luras.
The 25-year-old, who grew up in Bristol, had been visiting relatives and volunteering on a farm in the northern part of the island.
His mother, Cristina Pittalis, said his disappearance has left her feeling “distraught”, especially given the “remote” and “often treacherous” terrain of the island.
A spokesperson for the the British Foreign Office said they “are supporting Mr Frison’s family” and are in contact with the local authorities. The British Embassy in Rome have also been in contact with the family.
Mr Frison, who has British and Italian heritage, had been staying with family living on the island, prior to heading north.
Ms Pittalis, who has flown out to the island, said her son had left his accommodation at the volunteer site with a bottle of water, leaving behind his phone, laptop and ID.
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When he failed to return that evening, friends and family went looking for him, but he was nowhere to be found.
“Michael is a very sweet, kind, gentle, and very sensitive person,” Ms Pittalis said.
“He is so close to his brother and me. I know deep down Michael would never have left us, so this is giving me strength.”
Ms Pittalis said she had been in contact with her son every day and knew something was wrong when she did not hear from him.
He was officially reported missing at about midday the following day.
Two rescue teams equipped with drones are currently “working very hard” to search the area where Mr Frison went missing, his mum said.
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Mr Frison’s friend, Harry, 25, said: “As soon as we met each other we just clicked.
“He’s a really great person, really kind.”
Harry said Mr Frison enjoyed going for walks and being outside in nature, however, the current excessive heat in Sardinia has caused concern for his wellbeing.
“They’re currently looking in the area where he was last seen,” said Harry.
“They’ve got a little group that are going out together when they can.
“They basically just need to widen the search and try and get locals to have a look around their land because it’s quite rural in places.”
‘Real danger’
Harry has been supporting Mr Frison’s family and is hoping to fly out to Sardinia this week.
“I think they’re getting through it day by day and just trying to do the best they can,” he said.
Ms Pittalis said the Italian authorities will decide whether to continue with the search on Friday.
But she said she is worried it is “too soon” to stop searching, and fears that her son is in “real danger”.
“I’m taking it day by day and hoping that we will find him so that we can take care of him and help him recover from this experience,” she added.
