Palma.Helicopters combed the cliff face and the rocks from the air while air sea rescue vessels tried to hunt for any signs of life amongst the waves but the heavy seas made the operation almost impossible and, at going to press last night, there was still no trace of the missing Argentine who has been identified as Alexis Mariano Luca.
Ignoring the three metre high waves and 100 kilometre per hour gale force winds, he and three others had decided to climb down some steps cut in the cliff face and investigate a cave in Cala Serena on Thursday when they got in to trouble and it appears that a huge wave washed them all into the 14 metre long cave which leads to a geyser.
Three managed to climb back to safety, despite being smashed against the rocks by the strong waves, but there was no sign of Luca.
Escape
One of the three, all aged between 29 and 30, who had managed to escape first and raise the alarm was a young lady.
She was still in hospital yesterday where she had been treated for a fractured arm.
With the help of a local resident, she had managed to rescue her two friends with some rope she had found close to a nearby chalet.
Her two companions were treated for minor cuts and bruises and hypothermia and all three were still suffering from shock as the operation dragged on.
Sources close to the operation said yesterday that they fear that missing Luca may have been sucked up towards the geyser by the force of the waves as it swept all four into the ten metre high cave.
However, for the second day, Guardia Civil divers returned to the cave, despite the treacherous conditions and could not find any trace of the missing Argentine, leading them to conclude that Luca was probably sucked back out of the cave into the very rough open sea which was pounding the coast. Due to the worsening weather conditions and that after 36 hours, there had been no sign of Luca, Guardia Civil Captain Jose Godoy, head of the Manacor brigade, who was in charge of the search operation, decided to suspend the search late yesterday afternoon on the grounds that the body will not be recovered until the weather improves and sea conditions calm.
Washed away
The situation was very similar to the accident which happened in Cala Mendia, Manacor, when a group of South Americans climbed a rock to get some good pictures of the heavy seas when they were struck by a wave and washed away. The search parties had to wait until sea conditions improved.
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