Greek officials are searching for an American tourist who disappeared after hiking alone on the island of Amorgos.
Local officials said 59-year-old Albert Calibet went missing Tuesday afternoon. When he didn’t return from his hike, his friends reported him missing.
Several agencies are involved in the search for Mr Kalibet, including volunteers from the coast guard and teams from the neighboring islands of Paros and Naxos, according to Greek public broadcaster ERT News.
His disappearance comes days after British TV presenter Michael Mosley went missing on the Greek island of Symi, where his body was found four days later.
The BBC has contacted the US State Department for comment on the search for Kalibet.
Amorgos mayor Eleftherios Karaiskos told ERT that officials were carrying out inspections of land and water covering nearly a quarter of Amorgos. search.
They have been using drones to search the north of the island and are trying to track two of Kalibet’s mobile phones. The mayor said Mr Kalibet had visited the island before but calls were not answered.
“We’ve been here for almost three days,” his brother Oliver Calibet told Fox 11 in Los Angeles. “There’s no water…I’m distraught.”
Oliver Calibet and Mr Calibet’s girlfriend were on their way to Greece to help with the search, ABC News Report.
The island’s mayor said the hike Mr Kalibet started was busy and not particularly challenging, suggesting the American may have strayed from his planned route.
Kalibet, described as a retired Los Angeles County police officer, began hiking in the village of Aguiari on Tuesday morning, according to local news outlets.
Minutes later, he is believed to have sent a text message with a picture of a sign showing his route to Catapora, an estimated four-hour walk.
About two hours later, a local woman said she spoke to the missing tourist after he bought a drink from a nearby shop. Sofia Liviaki told Mega TV that Mr Kalibet drank a soft drink, showed her his planned route and carried a bottle of water with him for the rest of the journey.
Mr Kalibet’s disappearance shocked the local community of Amorgos, where he had been a regular visitor for years. While the route he chose was easily accessible and not difficult, the island has been experiencing a heat wave, with temperatures currently reaching 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).
“Like all of Greece during the heat wave, the temperatures were very high,” Popi Despotidi, the island’s deputy mayor for tourism, told Greek media. “We guess he felt dizzy… and collapsed. Somewhere. It’s weird because it’s not the first time he’s gone down this road.”
“We hope to be able to bring him home safely,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. abc news. “We are actively cooperating with multiple agencies abroad to provide assistance in the search for Deputy Kalibet, and will use all our existing resources to bring him back to those who love him.”
The search for the missing man comes just days after officials spent several days on another Greek island, Symi, searching for Dr Mosley, a well-known British TV doctor who disappeared after a walk on the beach .
His body was found in a rocky area and investigators concluded he died of natural causes on the day he disappeared.
