British woman missing after hiring boat on paradise island

A search is underway for a British woman who vanished after taking a motor boat out from the Balearic island of Formentera.

The 39-year-old’s friends raised the alarm after she did not reappear after hiring the 15-foot vessel in the port of La Salina on Tuesday morning.

They had become ‘worried’ after she failed to return around 6pm on Wednesday, when she was expected to, local officials said.

A Spanish coastguard helicopter, police speedboats and specialist divers have been deployed in the search at sea, while local officers are looking for her on land.

A spokesperson for Spain’s Civil Guard said: ‘From the time she was reported missing on Wednesday evening a search operation was launched which continued throughout the day yesterday.

‘She hasn’t been found yet nor has the boat she was on.’

Formentera is the smallest and most southerly of the Balearic archipelago.

With a population of around 11,000, it’s known for its unspoiled beaches with crystal blue waters that remain considerably less busy than neighbouring Ibiza.

Reachable by ferry from Ibiza, Formentera is popular as a day-trip destination but is also home to a small community of expats.

A police source said the woman had been living on either Ibiza or Formentera for around two months.

‘All lines of investigation are open at the moment,’ the source said.

‘All our efforts are focusing on trying to find the boat and the missing woman and hopefully she will be discovered alive.’

The vessel she hired was described as a cream-coloured Quicksilver 475 Axess with a Mercury outboard motor.

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