World News
2 U.S. Tourists Missing in Greek Isles as Body is Found in Search for Dutch Hiker
Two U.S. tourists are missing in the Greek Isles. Retired U.S. police officer Albert Calibet, 59, went missing on Tuesday after going on a solo hike on the Greek island of Amorgos. A second unidentified American is now missing, last seen on Tuesday in Mathraki, a small island near the larger Greek island of Corfu, according to Greek news outlet eKathimerini, which lists the tourist as a 70-year-old man.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed, in an emailed statement sent to TIME on Friday, that they were aware of reports of a missing U.S. person in Greece, and that they stood ready to provide assistance to U.S. citizens and families. On Saturday, the State Department confirmed to TIME in a separate email that they are aware of reports of a second U.S. citizen missing in Greece, but had no further comment and could not provide details on the age and gender.
Greece has been confronting intense heat waves, with temperatures exceeding 38C/100.4F. Popular tourist sites like Acropolis Hill, along with multiple schools and nurseries, closed mid-week due to high temperatures.
The rescue team for Calibet—made up of South Aegean Police CoMMAnd officers, the Embassy, Coast Guard volunteers, the Amorgos Volunteer Rescue Team, and a group from the Greek island of Paros—have been coordinating the hunt across nearly a quarter of the island for Calibet, according to a Greek newsite. An aerial search was also underway for Calibet.
Calibet was “well-known on the island” due to numerous visits over the course of the past few years, Calliope Despotidi, the deputy mayor of Amorgos, told the Greek Reporter.
Authorities are currently attempting to track Calibet’s phone, and are also using drones to help facilitate the search. Calibet was last in communication with his sister on Tuesday when he sent her a photo of a trail sign, per the Greek Reporter. He was reportedly supposed to meet with a friend between noon and 1 p.m. local time, but never showed up.
Officials believe that Calibet deviated from his original hiking route, which was expected to take a Travel time of just over four hours.
Calibet started working at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy in 1998, according to the Los Angeles Times. Despite his retirement, he still worked at the department as a part-time employee. Calibet disappeared shortly after British TV doctor Michael Mosley was found dead on the Greek island of Symi. Authorities said Mosley most likely died due to natural causes, though there are more reports to be done before the official cause of death can be determined.
Spyros Argyros, President of the local community, told eKathimerini that the unidentified second American was seen in the company of two female tourists before his disappearance in Mathraki.
The man was staying with a friend, and after the friend returned home Thursday and found the door of the house open, the lights on, the air conditioning unit on, but the missing American's ID and Travel documents were gone, he called the authorities.
Mathraki does not have a police or coast guard station of its own, and officials from Corfu were called in to assist in the investigation into the disappearance, per ABC News.
Search and rescue teams paused their operations on Friday in the rough waters near Mathraki, but the search continued on Saturday.
TIME has reached out to Corfu local officials and national Greek officials for further information.
Meanwhile, a third tourist, a 74-year old Dutch man, went missing on Sunday from the area of Marathokampos on the Greek island of Samos, after hiking alone. His wife reported him missing on Sunday afternoon. Samos, like Symi where Mosley was found, lies close to the Turkish border. On Saturday, a yet-to-be identified body was found.
TIME has reached out to Dutch authorities and local Samos officials for comment and further information.
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