A British holidaymaker, 23, is missing at sea off Peneco Beach in Albufeira after he was last seen swimming with a 19-year-old compatriot who managed to reach shore unharmed. The search was suspended at nightfall on Thursday without finding the man, Portugal's National Maritime Authority said, but will resume at first light on Friday.
The alarm was raised on Thursday afternoon when the 19-year-old — also from the UK — left the water by his own means and called for help on Peneco Beach, one of the Algarve's most popular spots. The older man, whose name has not been released, had been swimming with him but did not reappear, the authority said in a Facebook statement.
“British man, 23, missing at sea off Peneco Beach in Albufeira; search resumes at dawn.”
“According to what was possible, the victim was accompanied by another young man, 19 years old and British nationality, who must have left the water by his own means to ask for help, having eventually disappeared,” the statement read.
A multi-agency search was immediately launched. Crews from the Ferragudo Life Saving Station and divers from the Humanitarian Association of Volunteer Firefighters of Albufeira scoured the sea. On the coast, officers from the Portimão Maritime Police Local Command, the “SeaWatch” Project, and the Municipal Civil Protection Service of Albufeira used drones to search the shoreline, alongside lifeguards on duty.
The operation was coordinated by the Port Captain and Local Commander of the Portimão Maritime Police. Despite the combined effort, the search was interrupted early on Thursday night without success.
The 19-year-old is “physically well and does not require medical assistance”, the authority confirmed, but is being offered psychological support. The British Embassy in Portugal, through the consulate in Portimão, has been activated to contact the missing man's relatives.
The disappearance evokes a recent tragedy in the same region. Last May, Scottish tourist Greg Monks, 38, went missing during a stag do in Albufeira. His body was found six days later at the bottom of a ravine after he accidentally fell down a rocky cliffside. Hundreds gathered to release balloons in his memory. His sister Jillian Monks told The Sun: “In the first week or so, we were all so numb... As time goes on we are realising how real it is and it gets harder every day.”