Police and rescue services are still on the trail of a 62-year-old “geocacher” who failed to turn up to an agreed point in the treasure trail he was following in the natural park of Serra de Aire e Candeeiro.
The Tomar man is understood to have been plotting his way towards the habitual “geocache” – a hidden ‘treasure’ that is mapped out by GPS points – when all trace of him was lost.
His wife called in the disappearance at 8.30pm on Saturday, after waiting in vain for her husband at an agreed point on the IC2 near Leiria.
Searches were mounted on Sunday, with as many as 30 police and rescue workers minutely going over all the ground between the man’s last GPS reading and the point where he was due to make contact with his wife.
As Lt Mendes of the GNR told RTP news last night, the area is a favourite for “geocaching” offering at least 50 points for people practising the sport to reach and tag.
Thus searchers are able slowly to follow the man’s footsteps.
The difficulty, Alcobaça fire chief Mário Cerol has explained, is the density of scrubland, and the steep descents in some areas.
Sunday’s searches were called off at nightfall, and resumed early this (Monday) morning.
