US Tourist Found Dead On Greek Island During Heatwave, Latest In String Of Disappearances

An American tourist has been found dead on a beach on a remote Greek island after going missing amid a spate of disappearances. According to the Guardian, the body of the man was found Sunday on a rocky, fairly remote beach on the island of Mathraki by another tourist. 

The man, whose identity has not yet been released, disappeared on the island after last being seen on June 11, when temperatures reached as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit. The man was staying with a Greek-American friend on the island before he vanished, according to investigators. He was last seen alive at a tavern on Tuesday with two female tourists who later left the island further details about the victim, including a name or hometown, were immediately available.

Mathraki has an estimated population of just 100 people and is located west of the island of Corfu, as per Sky News.

It is the latest in a string of recent cases in which tourists in the Greek islands have died or gone missing. Before this, a 74-year-old Dutch tourist was found by a fire department drone on Saturday lying face down in a ravine about 300 meters from the spot where he was last observed last Sunday. Officials said observers reported the Dutch tourist having some difficulty hiking in the triple-digit heat that has enveloped the islands.

Dr Michael Mosley, a noted British TV anchor and author, was also found dead last Sunday on the island of Symi. His body was found in a rocky area, and investigators concluded that he died of natural causes the day he went missing.

One American and two other French tourists have also recently been reported missing. It is believed that they all set out on hikes in unusually high temperatures.

Notably, Greece is one of the most hard-hit countries by global warming in Europe, with rising temperatures fuelling deadly fires and erratic rains in recent years. Last Thursday, the famous Acropolis, and other nearby tourist attractions were closed as winds from North Africa pushed temperatures towards 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit). Many primary schools and nurseries nationwide were also closed to protect students from the heat.

Scientists warn that summer temperatures there could rise by an average of 2 degrees by 2050. Athens mayor Haris Doukas has tried to create more shade by planting 2000 trees.