Air and sea search widened for two young men reported missing off Costa del Sol

Spain's maritime and emergency rescue services have extended the search for two young men reported missing at sea off the Costa del Sol since the evening of Tuesday 16 January. More sea and air resources have been deployed and the search radius has been extended since around midday this Thursday to 30 miles south of Malaga.

The first warning of a problem goes back to 8.23pm on Tuesday when a friend of the pair called the Salvamento Marítimo marine rescue service to report that the two young men were on board a 6.5-metre fibreglass boat and had suffered an engine failure.

The person who raised the alarm said that he had received the call for help from the two young men and that, immediately afterwards, their mobile phones stopped giving a signal. Salvamento Marítimo operators attempted to call the pair and found that the phones were indeed disconnected.

According to the caller, the last coordinates given to him by the young men pointed to an area some 20 nautical miles off the coast of Marbella, off Cabopino, so the search was initially launched in that area.

To assist in the search Salvamento Marítimo deployed the vessel Salvamar Alnitak, in the Levante area, and the Red Cross boat, LS Cronos, covered the quadrant towards Benalmádena. A Frontex border control aircraft, Guardia Civil helicopter and patrol boat, also joined in the search operation.