ShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleTim DaleandCarla Fowler,YorkshireBBCKen and Kerstin Rudd believe the Army's failure to notice Ryan was not on base has hindered the police investigationThe parents of a missing soldier have said the failure of the Army to notice he was not on base for two weeks had "potentially" cost their son his life.
L/Cpl Ryan Rudd, 28, was last seen in the early hours of 15 February on a night out at the New Inn in Selby and did not return to his barracks at Catterick Garrison.
However, Ken and Kerstin Rudd, from Pocklington, said the first they knew of the situation was when they received a phone call on 1 March from a senior officer asking if he was at home and said the two-week gap had hindered any chance of finding their son.
The Army said an investigation was under way and it was working with North Yorkshire Police.
Ken Rudd said he had told the officer who rang they had assumed their son was back on camp as normal.
He said shortly afterwards they called again to confirm he was not on camp and they were contacting the police.
"The fact that nobody had noticed he was missing for two weeks. It was shocking, we couldn't believe it was happening."
Ken Rudd said he was ex-Army himself and understood there was a nominal roll call and an electronic roll call on the base.
"They are meant to cross reference to see if they are on a course, not on a course, or where they are," he said.
"They should know where each soldier is and he didn't get cross-checked two Mondays in a row.
"[That] put the police in an unfortunate situation of being two weeks behind in looking for my son."
Kerstin Rudd said the delay meant that if there had been any evidence of what happened that night it had been "washed away with the rain or whatever".
Ken said he was "furious" with the Army for not knowing his son had not returned to base.
"For missing those two weeks and not knowing where he was, this has potentially cost my son his life."
The couple said they understood Ryan had been with a friend from another unit and they had split from each other while Ryan finished a drink.
Kerstin Rudd said they had agreed to meet in another pub, but their son had been refused entry.
"As far as we understand, his friend was on a course for two weeks, so we presume he went off from Selby to his course.
"We don't know if he contacted anyone to say he hadn't had any contact with Ryan."
The couple said they hoped that talking about what had happened might jog someone's memory.
"If there's anyone in Selby who was around at the time and hadn't heard that Ryan was missing - the slightest little thing might help the police find out what happened," said Kerstin.
The couple said they firmly believed their son would not have voluntarily disappeared.
"It's out of character for him," Ken said.
"He's a soldier, it's in his nature to go out with mates, go everywhere, city breaks on his own, but he always comes home."
Kerstin Rudd said he had no reason to disappear and "he was enjoying it in the Army".
"We think something happened that night and we don't know if it was an accident or if it was something more sinister, because there's nothing to show what happened."
North Yorkshire Police have previously said officers remained "open minded" about his disappearance but added "we must accept the possibility that Ryan has entered the River Ouse".
In a statement, the Army said: "We can confirm that Lance Corporal Ryan Rudd was reported missing to North Yorkshire Police on 1 March 2026.
"An investigation is under way and we are working with North Yorkshire Police who are leading this. We are unable to offer further detail at this time."
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