Spanish businessman missing after fall from sailing boat in the Mediterranean

A search and rescue operation is underway for 66-year-old Spanish businessman Juan José Mutilba Obregón, who has been missing since August 18. The incident occurred while he and his 67-year-old wife, Carmen, were sailing from Syracuse, Italy, toward Pylos, Greece. According to family accounts, Mutilba was on the deck of their vessel, named 'Theorema,' attempting to clean a tuna he had caught when he slipped on the fish's blood and fell overboard. His wife reportedly heard him calling her to stop the engine, but despite holding a boating license, she was unable to maneuver the vessel to retrieve him.

The boat drifted unmanned for approximately three days without communication due to a lack of mobile signal. On Friday, the woman managed to establish a connection and alerted a family friend, who then notified Spanish, Italian, and Greek maritime authorities. Greek Coast Guard vessels and local assets eventually located the drifting sailboat about 18 nautical miles off the coast of Pylos. The woman was found in good health and was transported to the Pylos marina. The family continues to urge authorities to dedicate resources to the ongoing search for the missing businessman, acknowledging the difficulty of the operation while maintaining hope for his recovery.