Search intensifies for ex-cop missing on Greek island after 'something happened'

The search for a former cop who mysteriously disappeared on a Greek island intensifies. His friends fear the worst and stress that “time is running out”.

Eric Calibet, 59, an American tourist and former police officer, has been missing since Tuesday while undertaking a solo hike on Amorgos, a Greek island.

Greek media report that Calibet left Aegilali, a port village, just after 7 a.m., heading for Katapola, the main port about a four-hour walk away. However, he never returned and eight hours later his absence raised the alarm, prompting a friend to report him missing as the area faced sweltering temperatures.

READ MORE: Ex-cop missing after stroll on Greek island as temperatures soar days after TV doctor found dead

READ MORE: TV doctor Michael Mosley found dead bodies just meters from safety after disappearing while walking on Greek island

Search efforts began on Tuesday afternoon, with additional teams from the island of Naxos participating. Police are searching cell phone carrier data to determine Calibet's whereabouts, but attempts to contact him via his two cell phones have failed.

Local media revealed that Calibet's last communication was a photo of a street sign sent to his sister. The search operation intensified on Wednesday with more resources coming from Naxos.

As the search enters its fifth day, Calibet's family shared their anguish with NBC News, expressing that “every minute, every hour that passes gets sadder.”

The mystery deepened when a 67-year-old doctor and nutritionist, Michael Mosely, was found dead on the island of Symi, near where Calibet disappeared. Search teams searched the area for nearly four days before finding Mosely's body hidden behind a wall near the Agia Marina resort.

An autopsy indicated Mosely died of natural causes Wednesday around 4 p.m., without showing any signs of injury.

Calibet, a regular at Amorgos since 2009, knew the terrain well. Despite the rising temperatures, his loved ones are baffled by his disappearance, given his experience on the planned hike.

“He's so physically fit. He's so strong. God forbid, if he had a heart attack, he'd be on the trail and they would have found him by now,” said Robin Winston Leon, a friend of Calibet , in an interview with Fox. Digital News. “Something happened to our friend and time is running out and we need to find him already.”

Leon described Amorgos as isolated, with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants. “It’s 30 miles from (the Greek island of) Santorini, which is the closest place with an airport,” she explained.

“They can’t find the resources to help with the search.” To date, no personal items of Calibet have been found.

Cutwright's husband, who is Calibet's brother, Oliver Calibet, arrived in Greece on Friday to help with the search, which has been slow and time is running out, she said. “We’re almost three days here,” his brother Oliver Calibet told Fox 11 in Los Angeles. “There is no water…I am very upset.”

Warnings were issued for extreme weather on the Dodecanese island last week, with temperatures expected to reach 40C. Calibet's family is now urging anyone with drones or search capabilities to help Greek authorities in their search.

“We don’t want to live without Albert, so we have to find him,” Cutright said.