Croatian nightclub ... missing Australian woman Britt Lapthorne has not been seen since September 18.
Brother of Britt Lapthorne going to Croatia
Family fears she has met with foul play
Last seen in Croatian nightclub on September 18
THE brother of an Australian woman missing in Croatia is preparing to travel to Dubrovnik as her family and authorities consider the possibility that she has met with foul play.
Britt Lapthorne, 21, was last seen by friends at a nightclub in the Croatian coastal resort on September 18.
Tonight, her father Dale Lapthorne, of Melbourne, said his family was "living on a two per cent chance" that she would be found alive.
Mr Lapthorne said his son Darren, who`s based in Germany, was preparing to travel to Dubrovnik over the weekend to be closer to the Croatian police hunt for his sister.
"If it goes to my last day on this earth, I will get her back," Mr Lapthorne told AAP.
"Even though we know we have got only a two per cent chance of seeing her again - alive - I have got to be realistic. We are living on that two per cent chance."
Mr Lapthorne said Britt was a "well travelled and worldly person, independent and sensible, friendly and talkative" and who made friends easily among other backpackers, but who would always avoid trouble.
He said Britt was also very well organised and would not have left her belongings, her bags and her passport in her hostel, saying that only added weight to the likelihood of foul play.
"Everything indicated that at the start - that it was foul play - because Britt is a very well organised, well planned person. To not return to her hostel - it would never happen.
"She`s great at making friends with other backpackers and looks after herself with her tongue, she`s quite talkative. We`re hoping that ... one scenario might be that she`s being held captive somewhere and that she`s alive - she would probably be able to talk her way out."
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) officials are liaising closely with Croatian authorities and have begun searching forests in the area around Dubrovnik as well as examining CCTV, Mr Lapthorne said.
While Mr Lapthorne said his son`s presence in Dubrovnik would bring him some comfort and reassurance, he had not ruled out travelling to Croatia to be closer to the investigation.
"If I go there, I will not return until I have Britt - if it takes a week, a year, 10 years," Mr Lapthorne added.
Friends have launched a campaign on social networking site Facebook to help find Britt, with more than 1800 supporters signing up.
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