LOS ANGELES—A search was underway June 13 for a retired Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy who disappeared after going on a solo hike on the Greek island of Amorgos earlier this week.
A friend who was vacationing with Albert Calibet, 59, reported him missing after he embarked on what was expected to be a four-hour hike, according to the Los Angeles Times, which reported that Mr. Calibet hasn’t been seen or heard from since.
“We’re almost on three days here,” Mr. Calibet’s brother, Oliver, told Fox 11. “There’s no water. I’m very distraught.”
According to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Mr. Calibet worked for the department’s Transit Services Bureau from 1998 until his retirement in 2018, and continued working afterward as a contract employee on a part-time basis.
Mr. Calibet was last seen hiking on the Greek island on Tuesday, the sheriff’s department statement said.
“A missing persons report has been filed, and the Department’s Homicide Bureau is handling the case locally,” the sheriff’s department statement said. “Efforts to locate Deputy Calibet have extended internationally through U.S. authorities within the State Department. Greek authorities are also assisting by deploying various search and rescue teams.
“The Department has reached out to Deputy Calibet’s brother, girlfriend, and other family members to offer support and assistance during this challenging time,” the sheriff’s department statement said.
Anyone with information regarding the disappearance was urged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Deputy Calibet’s family and friends and our hope is that we can bring him home safely,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said in a statement. “We are actively collaborating with multiple agencies abroad to provide assistance in the search for Deputy Calibet and will use every resource we have available to bring him back to those who love him.”
The L.A. Times, citing Greek public broadcaster ERT News, reported that volunteers, including from the nearby islands of Naxos and Paros, are assisting in the search.
Mr. Calibet has visited Amorgos “almost every year” for the last decade, according to Popi Despotidi, the island’s deputy mayor of tourism.
“It is strange because he is not a person who walked the route for the first time,” Mr. Despotidi told the news organization Greek Reporter. “He knows Amorgos better than me.”
Mr. Calibet left for his hike around 7 a.m. local time. His friend alerted authorities after he still hadn’t reached the end by 3:30 p.m., according to Greek Reporter.
Mr. Calibet reportedly was carrying two cell phones, but hasn’t responded to attempts to reach him, according to news reports. His last confirmed contact was with his sister when he sent her a photo of a trail sign.
According to The L.A. Times, Mr. Calibet’s disappearance comes just days after British television presenter Michael Mosley was found dead after he went missing on another Greek island, Symi.
A 74-year-old Dutch tourist has also been missing since Sunday after he went for a hike in the Marathokampos region of the island of Samos, the Hellenic Rescue Team of Samos said in a Facebook post.
The searches for the missing hikers come as Greece is in the midst of a heat wave, with temperatures expected to stay in the triple digits this week for much of the central and southern parts of the country.
