Rising concerns over disappearances in Canary Islands

Disturbing news is coming from the Canary Islands. In the last six months, as many as 11 people have disappeared there.

The Canary Islands archipelago is loved by tourists from all over Europe. However, it has recently gained notoriety not for its beauty and tourist attractions but for unexplained disappearances.

In the first half of June, the media broke the news about a 59-year-old Polish sailor who was sailing a yacht between the Canary Islands. Marek Siedlecki sailed from the port of Gran Tarajal in Fuerteventura, intending to reach the port of Pasito Blanco in Gran Canaria. He then planned to travel to the airport in Las Palmas and return home to Frankfurt. However, this did not happen.

The missing man's son travelled to the Canary Islands to help find his father. On July 5, he revealed that the aerial search, which was conducted using helicopters and a CASA airplane, had concluded. The investigation is still ongoing, but neither the Guardia Civil nor the SAR has yet found any trace of the Pole.

Also in June, Jay Slater, a 19-year-old Brit, was on vacation in Tenerife. The teenager attended a music festival with friends. He separated from the group to spend time with newly met acquaintances, including two Britons aged about 30-40. He was supposed to stay at their place for the night. The next day, early in the morning, he left. He contacted his friend and informed her that he was lost, didn’t have water, and his phone was about to die. That was his last interaction with any of his friends.

The authorities searched for the 19-year-old for two weeks. The operation involved local police and mountain rescue teams. The boy's friends also joined in. Drones and helicopters were used, and sniffer dogs were also helpful.

Other missing persons include, among others, 28-year-old Natalia Belavus and Vladimir Marcella - a mother and son from Belarus. Their disappearance was reported on March 27. A few days earlier, on March 21 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the disappearance of Mariela González Gutiérrez and her two-year-old son Sebastian Cobos Gonzalez was reported.

The group of missing persons also includes 71-year-old Marco, who was in Tenerife. His disappearance was reported on April 24, and three days later, his wife Laura's body was found on the coast. The investigation is still ongoing.

In total, in the last six months, the disappearances of as many as 11 tourists in unexplained circumstances have been recorded in the Canary Islands.