The search to locate an American tourist who went missing on Greece’s picturesque island of Amorgos earlier this month is continuing for the 11th day.
Albert Calibet, a 59-year-old man who is a retired Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, went missing on the Greek island of Amorgos on June 11th.
According to information from local authorities of Amorgos, the missing man disappeared whilst hiking alone on a day when Greece was experiencing extremely high temperatures due to a heatwave. Calibet, who is a frequent visitor to the island, began his four-hour hike from the area of Aegiali on his way to Katapola. Unfortunately, he never arrived at his planned meeting with a friend.
Greek authorities instantly mobilized in an effort to locate the missing American tourist. The units involved in the search efforts included the Hellenic Police, Fire Department, and local rescue teams. Men and women, professionals, and volunteers continue to conduct an extensive search operation for the missing American. At their disposal, they have helicopters, drones, and experienced locals who know the area on the island of Amorgos well.
Recently, volunteers from Los Angeles arrived in Greece to support the ongoing search and rescue efforts that have been underway since the American tourist went missing.
How the missing American tourist disappeared in Greece
The disappearance of the 59-year-old was reported to the Amorgos Police Station by a friend of his who was vacationing with him on the island in Greece. The friend told the police that the retired police officer began hiking following a marked path.
“Calibet is well-known on the island. He has been visiting for several years,” said Calliope Despotidi, the deputy mayor of Amorgos.
Speaking to Greek Reporter earlier this week, she said that he was known to locals for his love of hiking. “He had completed the Aegiali-Katapola hike several times in the past.”
The Greek official said that a search and rescue operation is underway with police teams, the fire brigade, a volunteer rescue team, and local residents who know the area on Amorgos well. This is in fact the 11th day of no sign of the missing American in Greece. “It is strange because he is not a person who walked the route for the first time. He knows Amorgos better than me,” Despotidi told Greek Reporter.
Calibet’s disappearance came amidst a series of tragic incidents involving foreign tourists on Greek islands. At least two of them have been confirmed dead. The extreme heatwave that has been gripping the country for days is believed to be the main contributing factor, as temperatures exceed 40°C (104°F).
Girlfriend apologizes for earlier remarks
Earlier this week, Debbie Leshane, the girlfriend of the missing tourist, had told the New York Post she was “totally disgusted” with the way local officials had treated her. She claimed that local authorities weren’t doing enough to locate Albert, saying that Calibet’s friends and family members had traveled to the island of Greece to mount their own search for the missing American tourist.
However, in a Facebook post on Saturday, LeShane apologized. “I can’t express enough the huge amount of gratitude we have to all the support we get here [on] Amorgos,” she wrote.