Search operation underway for missing 60-year-old mushroom hunter

A large-scale search operation is ongoing in the mountainous Paphos forest near the Cedar Valley for 60-year-old Akkan Coskun, a Turkish Cypriot who went missing on Thursday, November 12, while foraging for mushrooms. Coskun was part of a group of three that entered the forested Konizi area; although the other two individuals were located by authorities, he remains missing. Emergency services were alerted to the situation at approximately 14:30 on Thursday following reports of a voice calling for help in the rugged terrain.

The search effort, led by the Morphou Criminal Investigation Department, involves the police, the Forestry Department, the Game and Fauna Service, the Civil Defence, and volunteer groups such as the Blue Heart Foundation and ETEA. Rescuers are utilizing helicopters, drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras, and specially trained sniffer dogs to navigate the steep terrain and dense vegetation. Efforts continued throughout the night and were reinforced on Friday morning. Police have released a description of the missing man, who is 1.84 meters tall, has short white hair and a thick beard, and was last seen wearing a purple, black, and white checked shirt. Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact the Kambos police station or the Citizen’s Line.