Desperate Search Underway for Missing Teen in the Mar Menor

Emergency responders are racing against time Friday, January 5 to locate Petrov, a 15-year-old teenager who disappeared in the early hours of the morning in the waters of Mar Menor. The trail of the missing child, a resident of Los Alcazares, went cold when the canoe he was navigating with two friends capsized. As per municipal sources, his companions, aged 16 and 22, were rescued by the Local Police showing signs of hypothermia and extreme exhaustion. They informed the authorities that they had been swimming for nearly two hours in an attempt to reach the shore.

Immediate Response by Emergency Services

The emergency services were alerted around 2:30 AM after hearing cries for help coming from the beach. The Local Police patrol confirmed the situation described by the resident and mobilised a rescue boat from the municipal Civil Protection service and another from the Los Alcazares Nautical Club.

The two youths informed the police that they had ventured into the sea with a canoe which eventually capsized. According to their account, they had swum for approximately two hours in an attempt to reach the coast. In the struggle, they lost sight of Petrov, the youngest member of the group, whose whereabouts remain unknown. None of them, as explained by municipal sources, were proficient swimmers.

Multi-Agency Operation for Teen’s Safe Return

Following the alert, the Emergency Coordination Centre of the Region and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre deployed a search operation by land, sea, and air involving patrols from the Local Police and Guardia Civil. This effort included five Civil Protection boats from Los Alcazares, two from the General Air Academy (AGA), one from the Cruz Roja, and another from Civil Protection in San Javier. By mid-morning, a helicopter from the Directorate General of Security and Emergencies joined the search with specialised rescue firefighters from the Region’s Rescue Group. In the early afternoon, Divers from the Special Underwater Activities Group (GEAS) of the Guardia and AGA boats also joined the search.

The canoe they were using has been located and towed to the port of Los Alcazares. Sources close to the case revealed that an investigation is ongoing to determine if it was stolen. Meanwhile, the families of the children are receiving psychological support from Civil Protection members as the desperate search for the teenager continues.

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