Mysterious disappearances haunt the Canary Islands: 11 tourists missing

Tourists from all over Europe love the Canary Islands archipelago. However, it has not recently become famous for its charms and tourist attractions but for unexplained disappearances.

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

The missing man's son went to the Canary Islands to help find his father. On 5 July, he revealed that the air search, which was conducted using helicopters and a CASA aeroplane, had been concluded. The investigation is still ongoing, but both the Guardia Civil and the SAR have not yet found any trace of the Pole.

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

The services 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. The report of their disappearance was received on 27 March. A few days earlier, on 21 March 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 included 71-year-old Marco, who was on Tenerife. His disappearance was reported on 24 April, and three days later, his wife's body, Laura, 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 were recorded in the Canary Islands.