Gary Tossell was nearing the top of his shift at RAF Brize Norton on June 18, 2019, when he obtained the telephone name that will change his life. It was Gillian, his dad’s associate, calling to say that he had vanished into skinny air whereas out for a vacation stroll on the Greek island of Zakynthos.
Gripped by concern – and a dedication to convey his 78-year-old father dwelling – Gary caught the subsequent flight to Greece to hitch the painstaking search.
5 years later, there may be nonetheless zero hint of John Tossell. He was final captured on CCTV cameras in a royal blue polo prime and cargo shorts whereas strolling alongside the pavement quarter-hour from his resort, the Katerina Palace. He was carrying ten euros and a bottle of water.
In an odd and troubling pattern, John is only one of a shocking variety of seemingly wholesome males aged of their 60s and 70s who’ve mysteriously vanished prior to now 15 years whereas mountaineering on a few of Greece’s hottest vacation islands.
Beloved TV physician Michael Mosley went lacking on the island of Symi. He was sadly discovered lifeless 5 days later having collapsed from the warmth
CCTV footage reveals Dr Mosley on a stroll, carrying an umbrella in a bid to guard from the vicious warmth
All however one disappeared within the month of June when, amid hovering temperatures, the solar is at its strongest and holiday-makers are prone to warmth exhaustion.
The risks are rising more and more clear. On Sunday, the physique of a lacking American man was discovered on a distant seaside on the small Greek island of Mathraki close to Corfu, three days after he had been reported lacking.
On Saturday, the physique of a 74-year-old man from the Netherlands was discovered on Samos mendacity in a ravine. He had final been seen six days earlier, strolling in suffocating warmth.
The British males who’ve vanished embrace David Wolstenhulme, 69, who went lacking on June 25, 2021, whereas strolling on the island of Serifos.
In the meantime, Roger Bainbridge disappeared on September 30, 2013, whereas on vacation on Antipaxos, and Russell Ward, 76, was by no means seen once more after he left his resort on Tilos in June 2012.
Arthur Jones, 73, was discovered lifeless on August 6, 2014, slumped up in opposition to a tree – six weeks after he had gone lacking whereas on a hike on the gorgeous island of Crete.
Most just lately, in fact, TV food plan guru and Mail columnist Michael Mosley, 67, vanished after going for a stroll on Symi earlier this month.
After a five-day search, his physique was discovered alongside a low wall at a seaside resort just a few minutes from security.
Greek investigators are mentioned to be engaged on the idea that Dr Mosley, who leaves behind his spouse Clare and their 4 youngsters, died of warmth exhaustion after sitting all the way down to relaxation on a rocky slope after which dropping consciousness as temperatures reached a punishing 40C.
This week, the Mail revisited among the unsolved instances and spoke to the family members of those lacking males.
Whereas no effort was spared to search out Dr Mosley, a few of these households are demanding an apology from the Greek authorities that they are saying have been ‘unprofessional’ and gave up the searches too simply.
Talking 5 years after the disappearance of his father John, plane engineer Gary Tossell, 40, mentioned the ‘under-resourced’ authorities on Zakynthos had didn’t conduct an intensive investigation.
‘The Greek search and rescue groups began the search by driving across the island with the blue lights flashing, however they by no means even received out of their vehicles,’ Gary advised the Mail.
‘Initially they mentioned there was a crew of ‘cadaver canine’ coming from Athens, however on the final minute, they advised us they weren’t coming any extra.
‘They flew a helicopter across the island for a few hours to seek for Dad. However the helicopter was coming in actually low and quick. I am ex-Royal Air Drive and I do know you’ll by no means discover somebody flying like that.’
He claims that, including to the household’s misery, authorities charged them 500 euros per hour to be used of the helicopter.
‘The CCTV of my father – the final recognized footage of him alive – was discovered by the household, not the police or Greek search and rescue groups,’ says Gary.
John Tossell was on the third day of his vacation when he went out for a stroll and didn’t return
Mr Tossell was final captured on CCTV footage strolling on the island of Zakynthos
‘Till we had performed it, they hadn’t thought to test CCTV.’ Then, he says, ‘after 5 days of primarily milling about, the authorities gave up trying.’
Gary discovered the operation to be so unprofessional that he went to the police captain and requested him instantly: ‘Do you suppose you have performed sufficient to save lots of my father?’
‘The police captain merely dropped his head and mentioned ‘sorry’.
‘This complete ordeal has been so exhausting on the household – particularly my sister,’ he continues. ‘It is the daft issues that also upset you whenever you least anticipate it – such as you watch the TV and an advert for Greek yoghurt will pop up and it’ll set off one thing.
‘All that we actually need to know now – in any case these years – is what actually occurred.’
So decided have been Gary and his household to proceed the search that they raised £7,000 to fly the Western Beacons Mountain Rescue crew to Zakynthos shortly after the Greek authorities had given up the hunt.
The crew continued to seek for John for an additional ten days however didn’t make headway.
The household are nonetheless urging anybody who went on vacation to Zakynthos in June 2019 to test their vacation footage to see if John seems within the background.
When Michael Mosley vanished on June 5, Gary could not assist however discover the outstanding similarities between the 2 instances.
‘I can empathise with the Mosley household as a result of what they went by means of for these 5 days was gut-wrenching.
David Wolstenhulme, 69, (pictured with spouse Heide) went lacking in June 2021, whereas strolling on the island of Serifos
‘The one distinction is that as a result of Dr Mosley was a little bit of a celeb and there was vital media consideration. There was way more strain on the Greek authorities to make use of all of the sources at their disposal.’
However despite the fact that the disappearance of Dr Mosley was a global information story, his physique lay undiscovered for nearly per week, simply yards from a preferred seaside resort.
A search and rescue helicopter had circled above the scene on a earlier day however failed to identify him, and it was the restaurant supervisor from Agia Marina, fairly than the authorities, who made the invention.
For Gary that is no shock: ‘There have been so many instances of lacking males on Greek islands which have been swept underneath the rug.’ He suggests the police on the islands are ill-equipped to manage, and that they aren’t given correct assist.
‘They mainly ship out all new recruits from Athens to get expertise on the islands – and it is a vacation for them. They’re simply completely out of their depth.’
Gary is now demanding a proper apology from the Zakynthos search and rescue authorities, who he believes gave up on his father and deserted the Tossell household.
In the meantime, Heide Wolstenhulme, spouse of David Wolstenhulme, who went lacking on the Greek island of Serifos on June 25, 2021, advised the Every day Mail: ‘After I adopted the tragedy of Michael Mosley’s disappearance I observed very actual similarities to Dave’s.
‘The distinction within the depth of the searches is hanging as Michael’s was a high-profile case. After I reported Dave lacking, there was no sense of urgency from the police officer. He was making notes on little post-its.’
Talking for the primary time in a decade, Iain Bainbridge, son of Roger Bainbridge, who went lacking whereas on vacation in Greece 11 years in the past, mentioned he was deeply saddened to examine Michael Mosley’s disappearance.
Roger Bainbridge disappeared on September 30, 2013, whereas on vacation on Antipaxos
Iain, 50, a housing advisor from Kendal, mentioned: ‘I needed to contact Michael Mosley’s household to inform them I empathised with their state of affairs. Not many individuals know what it is wish to have someone go lacking in these unusual circumstances’.
He had made a day journey to the island from neighbouring Paxos, the place he had been staying at his sister’s dwelling. Roger was sporting strolling footwear and carrying a rucksack, and he was final noticed on a hike by different walkers.
Greek search events scoured the 2 sq. miles of the island however authorities failed to search out any traces of the 67-year-old.
In October, Cumbria Police despatched two officers to assist the native search and rescue groups, however nonetheless nothing was discovered. ‘Varied members of our household flew out to assist the Greek search and rescue authorities search for him,’ explains Iain, ‘however they discovered nothing. No CCTV. No hint of him. No physique. No credible principle. Nothing. All we now have are questions.
‘It was deeply alarming and irritating. My mum – who now has dementia and is in a care dwelling – was deeply traumatised. I used to be desperately making an attempt to reassure her however we could not do something.’
And in one other case, when ex-British Military cadet coach Arthur Jones, 73, set out for a stroll on Crete on June 19, 2014, he too seemingly vanished into skinny air.
Officers from North Wales flew to Greece to assist an infinite land, sea and air search carried out by native groups.
After six lengthy, distressing weeks, which included a #FindArthur Fb marketing campaign endorsed by the then prime minister David Cameron, the physique of Arthur Jones was finally discovered beneath a tree in Crete.
Russell Ward, 76, was by no means seen once more after he left his resort on Tilos in June 2012
A uncommon second of closure for a British household of their circumstances? Maybe not.
On the inquest, Arthur’s son Jeffrey blasted the Greek police for ‘mendacity’ as a result of that they had promised that that they had completely searched the distant peninsula the place Arthur was finally discovered.
However that they had fully missed his father and in the long run his physique was found not by police, however by an area salt farmer.
When contacted this week by the Mail in regards to the lacking males, Greek authorities ’emphatically denied’ claims they have been gradual to behave and mentioned any criticism of this nature is ‘improper and ill-placed’.
Constantina Dimoglidou, spokesman for the Hellenic Police, mentioned: ‘Any speak of the kind regarding the case of Michael Mosley is faulty.’ She argued that Dr Mosley was already lifeless by the point he had been reported as a lacking particular person.
She additional insisted that the search course of had been swift since ‘authorities didn’t even look ahead to the bureaucratic paperwork to be finalised for the search to truly start’.
The Greek authorities didn’t tackle the particular instances of the opposite British males who went lacking, nor did they clarify why it took so lengthy to search out Michael Mosley’s physique.
They nonetheless urged any bereaved family who really feel that lacking individuals investigations have been botched to get in contact in order that they’ll ‘dispel any haunting ideas’.
However such repeated tales of obvious incompetence have left the households of the lacking with nothing besides unanswered questions, unable to completely mourn their losses.
Some households have held funerals with out our bodies, whereas others have continued the search – hoping in opposition to hope for some form of decision to their struggling.
- For assist, recommendation, assist, or to cross on details about a lacking particular person, contact Lacking Individuals on 116 000 or e mail [email protected].
- Extra reporting by Anthee Carassava
