… and thank local authorities and wider public for help and support this far
The family of missing Briton Darren Kay, last seen on a run in Madeira almost a week ago, have reached out in their ongoing agony to thank local authorities for ‘their increased presence’, and to say how public support through a GoFundMe appeal has been ‘overwhelming’.
“Sadly we are not able to provide any positive news at this time in the search for Darren”, brother Jonny has told us. But family members, including 52-year-old Darren’s parents, “have continued to search” and are hugely thankful for the “ongoing efforts of the PSP, Army, Maritime Police, Bombeiros and other federations” – all of which have been able to return to ground searches in earnest now that weather conditions on the island have improved.
The online gofundme campaign has seen some impressive donations – almost reaching the €10,000 target in just a few days.
Tomorrow however will signal one week since Darren Kay’s last sighting. He was meant to be ‘just running for another half hour”, after a two-hour run with his partner Victoria, but he never returned to the couple’s hotel in the municipality of Calheta.
Darren is a practised fell runner. He is fit and strong – but obviously the clothing he was wearing on his run last Sunday was not substantial.
Darren’s disappearance is in fact the 4th ‘vanishing’ of a single, male on Madeira’s hill trails in the last two years.
Locals and most people who know Madeira will know of the risks involved in some of Madeira’s hiking routes; they are very steep – and tragically many tourists have suffered accidents on them. What is not so common, up until recently, is for tourists to disappear without trace.
Hopes remain for a good outcome, as can be seen in the heartwarming responses to the GoFundMe appeal.
