A rescue mission has been launched after a British man disappeared during a violent storm in Ibiza.
Spanish helpline service 112 Emergency said the 25-year-old was riding his motorbike on the north of the island before he disappeared near the Portinatx area of Sant Joan de Labritja.
A spokesman said police were alerted by his colleague who had gone to search for him after the Briton – who was on a day off – failed to return from the trip.
El temporal marítim pot fer que un cop de mar t’arrossegui…No t’aturis a contemplar les onades i allunya’t d'espigons, esculleres, passejos marítims i altres zones on trenquin les onades a prop. Cerca un lloc segur. pic.twitter.com/tDVDcf8mNf
— Emergències 112 Illes Balears (@112IllesBalears) January 21, 2020
The colleague could only find his bike, the spokesman added.
The search is being carried out on land and sea by the Guardia Civil, a national police force, and local police and they suspect the incident is weather-related.
The Guardia Civil told the PA news agency that the search had not provided any “positive results” yet.
They added that another man, 41, from Spain, was also missing in the Balearic Islands and believe it was linked to the weather.
The disappearances come after Storm Gloria battered the Spanish Mediterranean coast, causing rough seas and extremely high waves.
On Tuesday, 112 Emergency warned residents that “the storm can cause you to be hit by a sea storm. Don’t stop to watch the waves and get away from breakwaters, boardwalks and other places where the waves may break nearby. Find a safe place.”
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