Body of elderly British man found by hikers on Costa del Sol

The body of an 88-year-old British man known as Vic who disappeared on Tuesday 22 July in Nerja has been found. Vic's relatives reported him missing the following day and put up dozens of posters with his photo in the town's streets.

A resident of Nerja for five years, Vic failed to return home after going alone to a barbers in Calle Jaén last Tuesday morning. He assured his wife that he would then take a taxi or bus to the family's home in the town's Fuente del Badén residential area.

Vic's body was found by some hikers in the afternoon of Wednesday 23 July, just a few hours after his disappearance had been reported to the town's Guardia Civil.

The body was found in an area of wasteland, very close to his home, but which was not frequented often, which is why he was not located for some hours. On first visual inspection, there were no signs of violence and he had all his belongings. In the absence of the results of the autopsy, the main hypothesis being considered by investigators is that Vic may have had a heart attack.

Vic taught corrosion engineering at UMIST Manchester for postgraduate students and almost every such engineer in the world was a student of his. He did the corrosion protection of the Channel Tunnel and many projects for the oil industry all over the world.

According to the Nerja History Group, of which Vic and his widow, Basma, were members, Vic gave lectures in China, Japan, Australia, the Middle East and South America, among many other countries. After leaving his post at the university, he became a consultant, travelling the world several times.

"Today would have been Vic's 88th birthday and he wanted us to celebrate, not mourn. Both Basma and Vic have been great supporters of the history group, attending meetings and accompanying us on many trips. We send our deepest condolences to Basma," they added.