Body of U.S. Tourist Found in Greek Isles. More are Missing
Idyllic coast of Amorgos, in the Cyclades Islands of Greece, with a small chapel guarding the coast. Credit - Getty Images—Joakim Leroy
The second of two U.S. citizens to be reported as missing in the Greek Isles has been found dead. The man was last seen on Tuesday in Mathraki, a small island near the larger Greek island of Corfu. He was found dead on a beach on the island on Sunday. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed. The Corfu medical examiner arrived at the scene later in the day, according to Corfu TV News.
In an email to TIME on Sunday evening, the U.S. State Department was able to confirm the death of a U.S. citizen in Greece. Respecting the privacy of the deceased's family, they declined to provide further comment at this time.
Meanwhile, the search continues for retired U.S. police officer Albert Calibet, 59, who went missing on Tuesday after going on a solo hike on the Greek island of Amorgos.
When contacted by TIME in regards to Albert Calibet, a State Department spokesperson confirmed, in an emailed statement sent 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.
Another tourist, a 74-year old Dutch man, went missing on Sunday, June 9, 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, June 15, the tourist was found dead by a drone operated by local firefighters, according to local newspaper Samos Voice. and reported by the Associated Press.
TIME has reached out to Dutch authorities and local Samos officials for comment and further information.
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 search team for U.S. tourist Calibet is 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, according to a Greek newsite. An aerial search was is also underway for Calibet. The tourist is “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 have been 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. After his retirement, he 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.
In addition to the U.S. citizens discussed above, two French tourists were reported missing on Sikinos, a Cyclades island in the Aegean Sea, on Friday. Per AP, the two women, aged 73 and 64, "had left their respective hotels to meet."
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