Mystery as British woman, 39, disappears after hiring boat on Spanish paradise island as police launch major search operation

Spanish police and coastguards have launched a major search operation for a British woman who vanished after hiring a boat on the paradise island of Formentera.
The alarm was raised on Wednesday evening when she failed to return a 15-foot cream-coloured motor boat she had hired earlier in the day.
The 39-year-old woman has been named locally as Mary Gavin.
A Spanish Coastguard search and rescue helicopter took part in an operation launched yesterday with two coastguard vessels as the Civil Guard combed the land.
The air, land and sea operation was expected to continue from first light today, although officials could not be reached early this morning for comment.
The company the missing Brit hired the boat from has been named locally as Helix Charter Formentera.
The vessel she is said to have left Formentera port La Salina in on Wednesday afternoon 'for a quick boat ride'.
She disappeared at around 6.30pm on Wednesday and has not been heard from since.
Ms Gavin was last seen on a cream-coloured Quicksilver 475 Axess with a Mercury outboard motor, just over 4.5metres in length.
The rental firm is understood to have participated in yesterday's search.
Messages have been sent to other mariners in the area with descriptions of the vessel police and coastguards are hunting asking them to be on the lookout.
Two vessels were sent out on Thursday to search the area.
One was mobilised from its base in Ibiza with the other instructed to comb the coastline off Formentera, the smallest of the inhabited Balearic Islands.
It was not immediately clear this morning if the missing woman lives in Spain or was holidaying in the Balearic Islands.
SLocal press are reporting 'all possibilities' are being considered because her plans when she hired the boat were 'a complete unknown.'

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Mirror

5 hours ago

• Daily Mirror

Brit woman missing after hiring boat on holiday island pictured

A British woman reported missing after she hired a boat on a popular Spanish holiday island has now been named as Mary Gavin, 39, as the authorities issued her photograph. Mary had hired a motorboat from the port of La Savina, Formentera, in the Balearic Islands, to "take a spin" along the holiday island's coast. The Brit did not say where she was heading but left the port at around 6.30pm on Wednesday.

Reuters

5 hours ago

• Reuters

Spanish police enter ruling party HQ in corruption probe

MADRID, June 20 (Reuters) - Spanish police entered the headquarters of the ruling Socialist Party on Friday to copy the emails of ex-senior party official Santos Cerdan, whose resignation amid a widening graft probe last week triggered a severe political crisis. Judge Leopoldo Puente, who is investigating allegations against Cerdan and former Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos, had ordered that the party let the plainclothes officers access its premises, although the Guardia Civil police and government officials said the move did not amount to a raid or searches. Government spokesperson Pilar Alegria and Transport Minister Oscar Puente also confirmed a similar visit to the ministry's roads department. The resignation of Cerdan, a close ally of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, on June 12, and subsequent revelations of potential misconduct, have destabilised the minority governing coalition. Sanchez has apologised publicly but rejected the opposition's calls for his resignation. In a tense grilling in parliament on Wednesday, he declined to say whether his name could crop up in the investigation. The Cerdan case is the latest and most severe of a series of scandals that has left Sanchez having to fend off calls from opponents for snap elections. Cerdan resigned from his seat in parliament and his post in the Socialist Party after a police report was sent to the judge. The report, seen by Reuters, provided transcripts of recordings of Cerdan, Abalos and the latter's former assistant Koldo Garcia discussing alleged kickbacks. Cerdan "appeared to be the person in charge of taking those alleged payments," the police wrote in the report. He has publicly denied any wrongdoing. The judge also asked the police to pore over bank accounts held by Cerdan, companies which allegedly paid bribes and five entrepreneurs. Around 500 bank accounts will be analysed, according to the writ. He also ordered state-owned railway infrastructure operator Adif and the transport ministry's roads department to hand over files over public works that were questioned in a preliminary police report. Abalos and Garcia will testify before the judge next week, while Cerdan will appear on June 30.

The Sun

12 hours ago

• The Sun

Brit woman, 39, vanishes at sea after hiring 15ft boat on paradise island Formentera as police launch major search

A MAJOR search is underway in Spain for a Brit woman who vanished after hiring a boat on the island of Formentera. The alarm was raised on Wednesday evening when she failed to return a motor boat she hired earlier that day. 2 Spanish coastguard officers used a search and rescue helicopter in the operation along with two coastguard vessels. One was mobilised from Ibiza, while the other combed the coastline off Formentera - the smallest of the inhabited Balearic Islands. Civil Guard officers are also understood to be conducting a land search. The search was expected to continue first thing this morning, but officials could not immediately be reached for comment. The missing Brit is reported to have hired a boat and left for "a quick boat ride" from Formentera port La Salina in on Wednesday afternoon. The rental firm is understood to have taken part in yesterday's search. is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.