Two “waves” of volunteers from Southern California arrived Friday to intensify the search for a retired Los Angeles County deputy deputy who went missing on the Greek island of Amorgos.
Days earlier, the brother of the missing man pleaded for help from the U.S. government in a YouTube video.
“I need help here, but I don’t think I’m asking for that much here,” Oliver Calibet said in the video released Sunday. “This is an American citizen that needs to be brought home… I just want to find my brother. Please support in any way you can.”
“This could be your brother,” Kalibet said.
Albert Calibet, 59, of Hermosa Beach, was reported missing on June 11 after embarking on what was expected to be a four-hour hike and never returning .
His disappearance sparked a massive search effort on the Greek island, with family and friends arriving to help find him. A fundraiser has been launched on GoFundMe to post updates and raise funds to further aid Calibet’s rescue.
A post on Friday’s fundraising page said a second wave of volunteers had just arrived, having just completed three flights and a ferry trip, totaling 30 hours of cross-continental travel. It’s unclear exactly how many Southern California volunteers are involved in the search.
“It’s day 11,” Oliver Calibet, the missing man’s brother, says in the video. “We’re walking up and down these walls … we’re just looking and we’re going to keep looking.”
Albert Calibet worked in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Traffic Services Bureau from 1998 until his retirement in 2018, according to a statement released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. After retirement, he worked as a part-time employee.
Poppi Despotiti, deputy mayor of Amorgos Tourism, said he is no stranger to Amorgos and has visited the island “almost every year” for the past ten years.
“It’s strange because he is not the first person to take this route,” Despotiti told Greek reporters. “He knows Amorgos better than I do.”
According to Greek journalists, Albert Calibet set out for a hike around 7 a.m. When he had not returned around 3:30 p.m., a friend reported him missing.
Although he hiked with two cell phones, Kalibet did not respond to attempts to contact him by phone. His last contact was when he sent his sister a photo of a trail sign, according to news reports.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said in a statement that he hopes Kalibet returns home safely.
Luna said in the statement: “We are actively cooperating with multiple agencies abroad to provide assistance in locating Deputy Kalibert and will use all resources at our disposal to bring him back to those who love him. “
Times staff writer Xia Lin contributed to this report.
