Noche de San Juan in the town of Arinaga (Agüimes, Gran Canaria). At 9 p.m., Manuela Gil de León, known as Manoli, aged 75, calls one of her cousins to ask if she will join her at the beach for a swim. It was one of her traditions: every year, on June 23, she would dive into the sea to seek health. Between 9 p.m. and midnight, Manoli leaves home alone with a towel and heads toward the beach. This is the last anyone saw of her. Two days have passed since she disappeared, and emergency services have set up a search along the Arinaga coastline, while family members call for volunteers to join the search parties and hold onto hope that she will be found. “She will gather strength to come back to us,” they say.
It was Monday at 1 p.m. when the family filed the missing person report at the main Guardia Civil post in Agüimes. Manoli, well known and beloved in the locality because her father was the sole driver of the old pirate taxis that carried people from the capital Gran Canaria to the municipality, left home only with the keys. Her mobile and wallet were left at the house. “She would come back, she intended to return,” her relatives reiterate, explaining that they began searching along the shore that morning, though no trace of her has yet been found.
The only thing found in the area so far is a towel, which, according to reports, might belong to Manoli and was located near the Arinaga beach late Monday afternoon, apparently returned to shore by the tide.
“There is no more information. It has only been confirmed that she was seen walking toward the beach to bathe,” says her daughter-in-law, Dayhara. She had a habit of doing this every year. At home she left her wallet, her mobile, the lights on, and the bed unmade. Most importantly, she cared for her mother, a dependent woman who she rarely left alone if there was no one else in the house, especially at night.
That is why the family believes she planned a quick round trip, but something happened along the way. They do not know if a stumble, a fall, a drop in blood sugar, or trouble at sea occurred. Manoli was diabetic and required medication, as disclosed by SOS Desaparecidos, which labeled her case as highly vulnerable.
The Operation
On the following morning, the family contact was made again, and a sister called several times, but there was no answer. She decided to go to Manoli’s home, and that visit triggered alarms when it became clear she was not there. The family then filed the report and began searching the shoreline for any sign of the missing woman.
Her relatives are asking volunteers to join the search along the coast, hoping to find a clue about the missing person or any personal belongings. “We love you and we are waiting for you. Please gather your strength to come back to us,” they message through social networks.
In the operation, a boat and a helicopter from Salvamento Marítimo, another from the Group of Emergency and Rescue (GES), along with the Local Police, Canary Police, the Beach Rescue Service of Agüimes, and the Guardia Civil participate. From Wednesday morning, they resumed the search. The Guardia Civil’s team includes the Special Group of Underwater Activities (GEAS), a helicopter from the Fuerteventura Air Unit, Civil Security, and the Seprona unit, scanning the coastline north and south of the island and inland waters. On the third day of the disappearance, weather permitting, they plan new dives and will sweep areas such as the northern quay of the industrial port.