Body of American tourist found on picturesque Greek island, latest in string of missing or dead foreigners

An American tourist was found dead on a beach on the Greek island of Mathraki on Sunday, the latest in a series of foreign tourists found dead or missing in the picturesque vacation paradise in the past week, authorities said.

The remains of the missing American were discovered around 1:30 p.m. local time on a beach near the old port of Mathraki Island, the president of the Mathraki Island community told ABC News.

The cause of death was not immediately released.

The man was last seen Tuesday at a tavern in Mathraki, west of the island of Corfu, where he was staying with a Greek-American friend, investigators told ABC News.

The friend called police after returning home Thursday and found the door to the house open, the lights on and the air conditioning unit running, but there was no trace of the missing American or his identity and travel documents, according to investigators.

Mathraki has no police station or coast guard. Law enforcement officers from Corfu were called to assist in the investigation.

A coroner visited the island on Sunday to conduct a preliminary investigation, the Mathraki island president said. The body is expected to be transported to the neighboring island of Corfu, where an autopsy will be carried out, authorities said.

This is the second time in a week that an American tourist has gone missing on the Greek islands.

The search continued Sunday for a retired Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy who had been missing since Tuesday on the Greek island of Amorgos, officials said. The retired lawmaker, identified by Greek authorities as Albert Calibet, 59, of Hermosa Beach, Calif., was reported missing when he failed to return from a hike, officials said.

Drone video obtained by Los Angeles ABC station KABC showed rescue teams searching the rocky terrain where they believed Calibet was hiking.

“We're sick to our stomachs, knowing he's out there somewhere,” Calibet's girlfriend, Debbie Leshane, told KABC.

Leshane said Calibet called her right before she went hiking. She said they talked for about six minutes and then Calibet sent her a photo around 9:20 a.m. local time Tuesday from the trailhead sign. She said that was the last time she heard from him.

A missing 74-year-old Dutch tourist was found dead on the eastern Greek island of Samos on Saturday, according to the Associated Press.

The body of the Dutch tourist, whose name has not been released, was discovered by firefighters using a drone. He was found lying face down in a ravine 330 meters from where he was last seen walking.

Authorities said observers reported the Dutch tourist had difficulty hiking in the triple-digit heat that enveloped the islands.

Some of the five tourists missing or found dead were hiking in scorching temperatures.

On June 9, Dr. Michael Mosley, a famous British television presenter and author, was found dead on the island of Symi. A coroner concluded he died around June 5, shortly after hiking in dangerous, rocky terrain.