A family trip across the Ionian Sea turned into a nightmare after a 66-year-old Spanish businessman disappeared overboard, leaving his wife alone on their drifting boat for three days.

Juan José Mutilba Obregón is believed to have fallen into the sea while the couple was traveling from Syracuse, Sicily, to Pylos on Greece’s western coast. Spanish maritime rescue authorities are searching for him.

His 67-year-old wife, Carmen, remained alone aboard the boat for three days, about 150 miles from shore and without cellphone service, as the vessel continued drifting away from the area where her husband had fallen.

The fall overboard

According to the family’s account, Mutilba had caught a tuna and was cleaning it when he apparently slipped, possibly because of the fish’s blood, and fell into the water.

The couple was already far from shore at the time.

“Menchu, Menchu, turn off the engine,” Carmen heard her husband shout, according to their son, Sergio Mutilba. However, she did not know how to react.

Carmen had obtained a recreational boating license years ago but was not prepared to operate the vessel alone under such circumstances.

“She froze, she didn’t know how to react and the boat began moving farther and farther away,” Sergio told El Mundo.

Mutilba was left behind in the water while the boat continued on, with Carmen unable to turn it back toward him.

Three days alone at sea

Carmen spent the following three days aboard the boat, trying to contact emergency services but unable to do so because there was no cellphone signal, according to the family.

There was food aboard the vessel, and she repeatedly went into the cabin to check whether she had regained a signal so she could call for help.

Meanwhile, a friend of Mutilba who was experienced in navigation and regularly monitored the couple’s trips began to suspect that something was wrong after noticing that the boat had deviated from its expected course.

He tried to contact Mutilba, but his messages also failed to go through because of the lack of connectivity.

It was not until Friday, three days after Mutilba fell overboard, that Carmen finally regained a signal and was able to contact the friend.

An emergency response was immediately launched. Spanish maritime rescue authorities notified Italian and Greek authorities, and several vessels headed to Carmen’s location.

The rescuers eventually took control of the boat and brought it to Pylos.

Family urges rescuers to continue search

The priority now is finding Mutilba. His son said the alert has been shared with rescue services in Spain, Italy and Greece and that the family understands the search operation remains active.

However, the family has complained about receiving limited information about the operation.

“What we are asking is that they do not stop and that they continue the search,” Sergio said.

He also said he believes Spanish authorities should become more directly involved.

“We should speak with the Interior Ministry and see whether more resources can be mobilized,” he said, stressing the need for the search to continue and for the family to receive clearer information about the resources being deployed.

The family is currently in Pylos, awaiting news about Mutilba’s fate.

A lifelong love of sailing

Mutilba, a computer professional, headed the company D’ors Informática for years before moving into the distribution of water to businesses through Mutobre, S.L. His son took over the company last year with a business partner.

After taking early retirement, sailing became one of Mutilba’s main pursuits. He and his wife regularly traveled around the Mediterranean, visiting Italy, France and Greece.

“He was always traveling from one place to another,” Sergio said. “They were always in Italy, France, Greece…”

Carmen has now been brought safely to shore, but the family remains in Pylos as the search for her husband continues.