Greece Greece - French female tourist, 73, Sikinos, 14 Jun 2024

[imstilla.grandma]

A 73-year-old French woman missing on the Greek island of Sikinos since Friday sent a distress message to her hotel before disappearing, the owner said on Tuesday.

A search is under way for the woman, who has not been named by authorities. She is one of three tourists missing in Greece, and five have died this month in unseasonably hot weather.

Ilias Gavanas, who owns the guest house where the woman was staying, told Reuters he last heard from her on Friday when he reached her by phone around 8:30 a.m. after missing a call from her at 5:50 a.m.

He said the woman had sent him a selfie and a message saying: “I am fall”. He replied in French and English asking for her location and telling her to call the European emergency number 112, and alerted police and municipal authorities.

https://wkzo.com/2024/06/18/french-woman-missing-in-greece-sent-distress-text-hotel-owner-says/

As authorities continue to scour the island, the owner of the guest house that the 73-year-old was staying in said he last heard from her when called her at around 8:30am after missing a call from her at 5:50am on the day she went missing

The second French woman missing on Sikinos was not staying at the same hotel but authorities believe the two missing women went hiking together.

Greece heatwave 2024: Missing hiker sent distress message to hotel

Searches ongoing for two French women and a retired US deputy county sheriff in Cyclades

www.independent.co.uk

 

[FoxxTraxx]

These are difficult cases. The island only has 200 permanent residents in 3 small villages, and limited services. It attracts visitors who value privacy and quietness.

 

[Herat]

These are difficult cases. The island only has 200 permanent residents in 3 small villages, and limited services. It attracts visitors who value privacy and quietness.

Wow, this is even more difficult than Amargos. Fewer hikers, fewer major routes, what looks like more rugged terrain because the routes are not heavily used and not as well marked

https://www.alltrails.com/greece/sikinos/sikinos

 

[Herat]

If she was in the southern half of the island, as suggested by her phone location, this might be the trail she was on. It is the major trail for the island and goes to several very interesting ruins. Seems very atmospheric, on a pleasant day.

The one review on All Trails says it "Needs some maintenance, thorny bushes growing on path"

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/greece/sikinos/pantokratoras-episkopi-agios-panteleimon-alopronia?u=i

 

[whitelilac]

I guess we don't know whether the other French lady with whom she was hiking stayed with the lady who fell, or went off to seek help and got into trouble herself.

 

[Herat]

I guess we don't know whether the other French lady with whom she was hiking stayed with the lady who fell, or went off to seek help and got into trouble herself.

If the other lady had become ill, you would think a phone call would have been initiated then, before this lady fell. Unless they both met with an accident about the same time.

Sadly, to me this implies the second lady has expired , and the woman who called has traveled on during the night to reach help but fell with enough force to stun her or leave her weak enough she cannot make a full phone call or text.



The hotel owner said the text was timed at 5:30 am but was not noticed until 8:30.

 

[Herat]

It's now 84 hours since the phone text/selfie and no discovery of either missing woman.

This article translated into English had the selfie photo the French woman sent to the hotel. It notes the two missing women were 63 and 73, but then says the 74 year old sent the distress text and the "84 year old" had left her phone at her hotel. I assume these are just typos and the other missing woman is 63 and left her phone at the hotel. I'm not sure why anyone going out on a hike would leave their phone at the hotel.

https://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2024/06/17/tourist-missing-dead-greek-islands/

 

[Herat]

It's 6 am in Sikinos. No news developments overnight or from yesterday.

I would have thought all of the hiking trails would a have been walked by searchers by now.

Hope the two ladies are found today.

 

[acutename]

any idea why these folks keep hiking just as far in a major heat wave? is it because they are on vacation and they have done this before so they ignore the temperature? Is it very dry like the American west so they dehydrate without noticeable sweat?

 

[RickshawFan]

any idea why these folks keep hiking just as far in a major heat wave? is it because they are on vacation and they have done this before so they ignore the temperature? Is it very dry like the American west so they dehydrate without noticeable sweat?

Not exactly. You basically feel like you're being baked: high UV, heat radiating off those rocks, salty air, hot grit underfoot... And these are unlikely to be purpose-built hiking trails. They'd be more like ancient goat herd trails, and therefore don't go where you might put a hiking trail. IMO this would be confusing, because the trail might go around and about, but you could easily follow a trail made by goats. This would send you all over the place potentially.

As for the heat....Death Valley temps. Same problem if you go hiking in Death Valley this time of year: you're toast. Literally.

 

[Herat]

any idea why these folks keep hiking just as far in a major heat wave? is it because they are on vacation and they have done this before so they ignore the temperature? Is it very dry like the American west so they dehydrate without noticeable sweat?

Both, but I think the point of many having limited time somewhere and having time pressure to accomplish things, feeling well despite being of older age and having some health conditions that are fine in milder weather, and coming from a place that is secure and has people who will rescue you.

I guess I'm a bit of a pessimist always worrying about what ifs, but it has served me well to remind me that outdoor adventures that are safe one day may not be at all under different conditions.

 

[RickshawFan]

It will be very helpful once Apple's satellite system operates in every country. In the absence of a PLB, being able to use your phone to call for help (it automatically calls if you fall over!*) would muster help more quickly in many of these cases. Out in the open in Greece (which is most everywhere that tourists go), satellite linkage would be no problem.
*Last year, while hiking, I took a nature call. Magically, I found myself on the ground and my wrist was vibrating. When I looked, the SOS was verifying on my Applewatch whether I was okay. Did I need 911 (which would have called the satellite if there was no cell service)? If I hadn't responded, clearly I was in a dire state, and the EMT's would be showing up. They would have my GPS location from my phone. Haha...I had tripped over a root and was face down in the duff. Very comfy!
Anyway, just think how many of these "missing" scenarios would be different if they had that technology.
At any rate, this service should be international. Maybe it's just for the US right now. I suppose it has to be approved country by country. It takes an iphone 14 and up. Perhaps the AppleWatch is required as well, since that's the device with "fall detection" (though maybe that's now on the iphone?). I don't have cell service to my watch; it makes the iphone dial.

 

[Herat]

Not exactly. You basically feel like you're being baked: high UV, heat radiating off those rocks, hot grit underfoot... And these are unlikely to be purpose-built hiking trails. They'd be more like ancient goat herd trails, and therefore don't go where you might put a hiking trail. IMO this would be confusing, because the trail might go around and about, but you could easily follow a trail made by goats. This would send you all over the place potentially.

As for the heat....Death Valley temps. Same problem if you go hiking in Death Valley this time of year: you're toast. Literally.

Heat Stroke, which is the potentially fatal condition is not the same as dehydration. It's really just plain old hyperthermia where your body's ability to modulate core temperatures is overwhelmed by the ambient temperature and humidity and your temperature cannot maintain in a safe level.

Dehydration is a part of it, but not exactly the same.

 

[Herat]

I've been reading about the what3words system and it's very impressive.

The earth has been charted into more than 40,000 sets of 3m x 3m squares and each is defined by 3 words that are unrelated. Using this code, someone can send a message that identifies your location extremely precisely without having go through GPS or a satellite.

If the French woman had been able to send a what3word text or notification instead of the written text, her location would be known in minutes. It is in sixty languages.

I tried it and with my house and driveway I could get more than 20 different combinations.

///dreams.trendy.rope

This is the what3words address for a 3 metre square location near New York City, New York.

what3words.com

 

[RickshawFan]

any idea why these folks keep hiking just as far in a major heat wave? is it because they are on vacation and they have done this before so they ignore the temperature? Is it very dry like the American west so they dehydrate without noticeable sweat?

Hiking is quite the cool activity these days (it went up exponentially during COVID), but the newer generation of hikers (old and young) IME has little sense of risk in the outdoors (or etiquette, or "leave no trace", or "10 essentials", or how to dress.....). Or, they miscalculate their fitness and/or skill, often basing it on past adventures with very low risk (e.g. they've only ever traveled on busy trails, they haven't experienced "weather", don't know how to dress, etc.) They confuse, "treading a lot of miles" with "experience", one is placing one foot and then the next, the other includes understanding what could go wrong and how to make decisions. You learn this from more experienced folks, as well as going through it yourself, and not a bunch of "friends" on FB.
Almost every "missing while hiking" case I've seen on WS corresponds to this sketch.

 

[StillDiggin]

French women are named in this French article.
Since Wednesday June 12, 2024, Marie-Pierre Arfel, a sixty-year-old living in Gassin, has not given any sign of life. Traveling in Greece since April, the Gassinoise has not given any further news after going hiking with another French woman, on the island of Sikinos, in the Cyclades region. (Via google translate).
An island located in the Cyclades region. “Wednesday morning, we know that she went hiking in the fresh air with another Frenchwoman, Françoise Boutteaux,” she explains. Since then, nothing. Because Greece has been hit for several days by an unprecedented heat wave at this time of year. Many people have died, others have disappeared, like the two French women

En plein épisode caniculaire, une Varoise portée disparue en Grèce

"Elle a toujours été très sportive; elle fait souvent de la randonnée et a l’habitude de voyager seule", raconte Justine Michaux, pleine d’interrogations. Depuis le mercredi 12 juin 2024, elle est sans nouvelle de sa tante, Marie-Pierre Arfel. Âgée de 64 ans, et habitante de Gassin (Var), Marie-Pi

www.varmatin.com

Another French article

https://www.femmeactuelle.fr/actu/news-actu/disparition-mysterieuse-de-deux-francaises-en-grece-ce-que-l-on-sait-de-l-appel-de-marie-pierre-arfel-au-gerant-de-son-hotel-juste-avant-de-disparaitre-2177178

 

[RickshawFan]

French women are named in this French article.
Since Wednesday June 12, 2024, Marie-Pierre Arfel, a sixty-year-old living in Gassin, has not given any sign of life. Traveling in Greece since April, the Gassinoise has not given any further news after going hiking with another French woman, on the island of Sikinos, in the Cyclades region. (Via google translate).
An island located in the Cyclades region. “Wednesday morning, we know that she went hiking in the fresh air with another Frenchwoman, Françoise Boutteaux,” she explains. Since then, nothing. Because Greece has been hit for several days by an unprecedented heat wave at this time of year. Many people have died, others have disappeared, like the two French women

En plein épisode caniculaire, une Varoise portée disparue en Grèce

"Elle a toujours été très sportive; elle fait souvent de la randonnée et a l’habitude de voyager seule", raconte Justine Michaux, pleine d’interrogations. Depuis le mercredi 12 juin 2024, elle est sans nouvelle de sa tante, Marie-Pierre Arfel. Âgée de 64 ans, et habitante de Gassin (Var), Marie-Pi

www.varmatin.com

Another French article

https://www.femmeactuelle.fr/actu/news-actu/disparition-mysterieuse-de-deux-francaises-en-grece-ce-que-l-on-sait-de-l-appel-de-marie-pierre-arfel-au-gerant-de-son-hotel-juste-avant-de-disparaitre-2177178

Interesting they've been in Greece since April. They would have had some time to acclimatize. Greece has a major heat wave earlier than usual this year, but...

I notice many of the recent missing in Greece have aging bodies. There's a post ^^^ with an article that new research shows there's potential for heart issues even in the low 80 degrees.

This Mayo article points to heart issues above 70 degrees:

Hot weather & blood pressure, heart

High temps and humidity affect those with high blood pressure and heart disease. Learn warning signs your body isn't keeping up.

www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org

 

[Herat]

Interesting they've been in Greece since April. They would have had some time to acclimatize. Greece has a major heat wave earlier than usual this year, but...

I notice many of the recent missing in Greece have aging bodies. There's a post ^^^ with an article that new research shows there's potential for heart issues even in the low 80 degrees.

This Mayo article points to heart issues above 70 degrees:

Hot weather & blood pressure, heart

High temps and humidity affect those with high blood pressure and heart disease. Learn warning signs your body isn't keeping up.

www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org

Yes, very interesting they had been in Greece for probably 6 weeks already.

The temps had been very pleasant for about a month with June starting out with highs in the low 80'sF and then a quick spike to near 100 on June 5, then back down to the high 80's until the 4 day spread from June 10 to June 14 when the high's dropped back down to the comfortable 80's, where they are now. ( I used temps on the adjacent island of Naxos on the graph, below)

Agios Arsenios, Greece Weather History | Weather Underground

You would think they already had ample hikes in 80F conditions under their belts and could have easily skipped a hike for a couple of days until it cooled down. Perhaps they had just arrived on Sikinos and wanted to get an idea of the lay of the land with a hike and felt confident in their abilities. Or didn't really think it would be that hot. Or maybe they left in the evening when it cooled down a bit. I am puzzled by the text arriving at the hotel at 5:50 am. It would imply they were both out overnight and the 74 year old had just regained consciousness enough to find her phone and use it. Her selfie is her lying on some brush with the phone above her, implying she is not able to get up to a sitting position to photograph the trail or surroundings. That does sound like what could happen with a badly injured leg and heat stroke on top of it. I don't find any note of a timestamp noted on the photo, and it is in daylight, although it looks more midday than sunrise.

I hope they are found tonight or tomorrow, as it's now about 8pm there and there is no new news from today's activities.

 

[Herat]

Thanks to poster Tintenbar for this Greek language news article about the two women.

Interesting to me is that the two women met for the first time in Sikinos, although their arrival date isn't noted.

The niece of the 64 year old woman, Marie Pierre Arfel, says the two women went hiking Friday morning. She has heard nothing from her since. It was 73 year old Francois Boutteaux that sent the text that she had fallen and was ill.

The niece contacted the French authorities who had the French consulate in Athens send the family the contact detail for the Greek authorities. (So France did not send an independent team. Just as the US did not send an independent team, which has the GF and brother of Eric Albert Calbet, missing on Amargos, very upset)

(Apologies if this is actually the same article as above)

Εξαφάνιση 64χρονης Γαλλίδας στη Σίκινο: Συγγενείς της έρχονται στην Ελλάδα για να βοηθήσουν στις έρευνες | LiFO

Η ανιψιά της 64χρονης Μαρί Πιέρ Αρφέλ δήλωσε πως δεν έχει νέα από την θεία της από την Παρασκευή 14 Ιουνίου

www.lifo.gr

 

[Herat]

Here is a travel guide blog for Greece and the Greek Islands, with it's introductory page about Sikinos.

It really sounds wonderful if you want a very quiet, very private small place to visit and don't need lots of activities or nightlife. It does sound idyllic in many ways.

Matt Barrett's Guide to Sifnos, Greece

Helpful Guide to one of Greece's most beautiful islands, famous for its cuisine, pottery, and some of the most beautiful beaches in Greece

www.greektravel.com