11 tourists vanish in Canary Islands sparks mystery and concern

The Canary Islands archipelago is loved by tourists from all over Europe, including Poles. However, it has recently gained attention not 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 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 July 5, he revealed that the air search, which was conducted using helicopters and a CASA airplane, 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 vacation in Tenerife. The teenager went there with friends for a music festival. He separated from the group to spend time with newly met friends, including two Britons aged about 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 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. The report of their disappearance was received 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 included 71-year-old Marco, who was on Tenerife. His disappearance was reported on April 24, 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.

Source: "Daily Mail"/"The Sun"/"Gazeta Wyborcza"/Żeglarski.info/Teneryfa Isla Solidaria