Search efforts to locate the missing 71-year-old surfer have so far turned up nothing, with authorities losing track of him since Monday afternoon (8/31), when he set out on his surfboard from Ammoudara, in the Municipality of Malevizio, heading toward the island of Dia off the coast of Crete.
According to information cited by local media outlets, the Coast Guard was notified of his disappearance on Tuesday morning (9/1) and immediately launched a large-scale search operation in the sea area between the Bay of Heraklion and Dia. According to creta24.gr, his surfboard was found Tuesday (9/1) in the area of Dia, showing no visible signs of damage, while his personal belongings were also found in the Ammoudara area.
The search continued nonstop through the night, and both air and sea assets have again been deployed since this morning. Two Coast Guard patrol boats, a dive boat, a pleasure craft, and other vessels in the broader area are taking part in the search. In the air, a Coast Guard aircraft and a Frontex aerial unit are assisting.
At the same time, fishing, commercial, and tourist vessels operating in the sea area between Heraklion and Dia have been placed on heightened alert, helping in the effort to locate any trace of the missing man.
