A 21-year-old German hiker remains missing in Crete as search efforts enter their eighth day, with his family funding a private helicopter and additional resources to aid the rescue mission.
The young man, whose name has not been officially released, disappeared 10 days ago while hiking in the Samaria Gorge, a popular but challenging trail in the Chania region.
The search, led by the Greek Fire Service, the EMAK Special Disaster Response Unit, and local police, has been complicated by severe weather conditions brought by Storm Coral, which has brought heavy rains and low temperatures to the island.
Despite the challenging conditions, search teams, including trained dogs, have been scouring the Samaria National Park, Xylokastro, and Gigilos areas in Chania.
The family of the missing hiker has taken to social media to appeal for financial and material support, revealing that they are covering the costs of the search efforts, including a privately funded helicopter. The cost for four hours of helicopter search alone is estimated at 20,000 euros.
Additionally, the family is funding private drone operators and search dogs, as well as covering accommodation and equipment expenses for volunteers.
In a statement, the family expressed frustration over the Greek government’s refusal to issue an international appeal for assistance.
“The cost of the search has exceeded our expectations,” the statement read. “Our request for Greece to issue an international call for help has not yet been accepted. Until that happens, we must fund all additional assistance coming from abroad ourselves.”
The family met with a high-ranking police official on Saturday to push for their request, which was eventually signed and forwarded to the Chief of Police in Chania. “We hope it will be escalated to the appropriate authorities,” the statement added.
Despite favorable weather conditions on Monday, with clear skies and melting ice on the roads leading to the gorge, no official search operations were conducted.
However, the family has hired a private mountain rescue team of four, who began their search early Monday morning, retracing the hiker’s possible route from the parking area. Three private drone operators have also joined the effort.
The family emphasized their gratitude for the financial support and assistance they have received so far but urged for further donations to cover ongoing and future expenses, including the potential repatriation of the hiker to Germany if found.