An aspiring U.S. Marine remains missing more than two months after he was last seen in Roslindale, Massachusetts, where he was reportedly staying with his military recruiter. Joseph Brancato’s loved ones, as well as local authorities, continue to push for answers.

The 21-year-old’s cousin, Nicole DaSilva, is certain that “if Joey was alive and well he’d be home,” according to WBZ.

Brancato, who lived in Winthrop, was last seen on November 18, but his family became especially concerned when he did not attend a Thanksgiving celebration at home.

“Think about how difficult this is for an entire family to wonder every single morning and every single night where this 21-year-old boy has gone,” DaSilva added.

The police effort to find Brancato apparently entered further into the recovery phase late last week when multiple agencies joined forces to search a West Roxbury pond, according to reports.

Authorities have not released a statement regarding whether the search yielded any evidence. DaSilva made it clear she and the rest of the missing man’s family will not rest until they know the truth about his disappearance.

“We’re not going anywhere, we’re going to fight and we’re going to search and we’re going to drive people crazy until we figure out what happened to him,” she said.

As NECN reported, Brancato’s aunt, Dawn Buccieri is holding out hope that the young man will return home safe.

“Joey please come home,” she said. “I don’t care what happened, what went wrong. I will take you in a minute.”

Friday’s search of Turtle Pond is not the first location of interest to police investigating the case. Last month, investigators searched a nearby wooded area.

A Naval Criminal Investigative Service spokesperson would only confirm the latest search was “just one ongoing investigative step looking for clues.”

[Featured image: Joseph Brancato/Boston Police Department]