Frantic search launched for dad who vanished on vacation with his family after suffering 'really bad insomnia for a month'

A frantic search is underway for a missing Massachusetts man who disappeared while vacationing with his family after suffering severe insomnia for a month.

Stanley Kotowski vanished last week while vacationing with his family in Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, leaving loved ones desperate for answers.

The Boston resident was last seen leaving a vacation rental his family and friends rented, shoeless and without his phone, per security footage obtained by WJCL.

His family have urged him to return home as they told local news outlets that he had been struggling with insomnia and anxiety in recent weeks. 

'Friday morning, 9.45... he just walked out the door. He had, like, really bad insomnia for about a month. This is like, a brand-new thing,' his wife Jackie Kotowski told the outlet. 

Kotowski, a resident of Boston, was last seen leaving a vacation rental shoeless and without his phone

'He doesn't have dementia. His anxiety just kept getting worse and worse and worse. And he started to get a little paranoid. He thought someone was chasing him.'  

The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office is leading the search, utilizing canines, drones, and helicopters to locate the 60-year-old man. 

Zak Kotowski, the missing man's son, described his dad as a strong, athletic individual, 'even in a delirious state' and 'could get a few towns over, especially in 72 hours.' 

The family said he can also be identified by his thick Boston accent.   

A frantic search is underway for a missing Massachusetts man who disappeared while vacationing with his family after suffering from severe insomnia for a month

Stanley Kotowski vanished last week while vacating with his family in Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, leaving loved ones desperate for answers

'Love him and we miss him. And we just want him to come home,' Kotowski's wife, Jackie said. 'I want to go home. I want to take him home.'

'You're not in trouble, dad. We love you,' Zak told the outlet, sending a message to his missing parent. 'We can't leave without him.'

The Kotowskis are urging the public to check security footage for any sign of him. 

Insomnia is known to acutely impact sufferers' mental health.

US researchers, who tracked more than 100,000 Americans over 15 years, found a direct correlation between lack of sleep and an increase in erratic behaviors.

They believe this is because staying awake at night disrupts the brain's decision-making functions and reduces rational thinking during a time when negative mood is 'at its peak'.