Juan José Mutilba, a retired Spanish businessman from Burgos, has been missing in the Mediterranean since August 18, when he fell into the water after slipping from his sailboat. His family is urging the Italian and Greek authorities to deploy more resources to find the 66-year-old.
Të lidhura
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The incident occurred in waters between Sicily and Greece. However, the alarm was not raised until August 21, three days after he fell overboard, because his partner, who was accompanying him, was unable to stop the boat and had no way to contact the authorities.
His son, Sergio Mutilba, said his father was trying to catch a tuna when he stepped on the fish’s blood, lost his balance and fell into the water. Juan José shouted to his partner to stop the boat, but she panicked and was unable to maneuver it.
According to the family, the fact that the boat was new and larger than the one the couple had previously used may also have played a role in how the situation unfolded. While Juan José had extensive sailing experience, his partner had not yet become familiar with operating the vessel.
The 66-year-old’s partner remained alone at sea for three days as the boat continued sailing. She has since returned to Madrid, where she is staying with her sister and receiving medical and psychological support.
Sergio spent several days in Pylos, the destination his parents were supposed to reach after departing from Sicily. He says his mother is in a severely distressed psychological state and is unable to come to terms with what happened.
According to him, she wanted to remain there until his father was found. Sergio also expressed deep concern over the three days his mother spent alone at sea.
The operation to locate Juan José is being conducted in coordination between the Italian and Greek authorities. The family is being kept informed about the progress of the search through Spain’s maritime rescue service, Salvamento Marítimo.
Sergio says the authorities have told the family that the area has been searched several times and that they will receive regular updates on the operation. Despite this, the relatives are calling for more resources to be deployed in the search for the 66-year-old.
Speaking to the Spanish newspaper “El País,” Sergio said the family wants the search to continue without interruption. He acknowledged that the situation is extremely difficult but stressed that they continue to hold out hope.
The missing man’s son has also contacted Spain’s Interior Ministry. However, the family says it has still not received a full explanation of how the search-and-rescue operation is being conducted.
Juan José retired in 2021. During his career, he first founded an IT company and later established a business supplying water containers to offices.
After retiring, he and his partner traveled to various countries around the world, particularly in the Mediterranean region. This year, the couple bought a larger boat that was also more complicated to operate.
Sergio explained that his father handled the boat perfectly thanks to his sailing experience, while he believes his mother may not have had the same level of skill in operating it.
He also described the moment he arrived in Pylos and saw his parents’ boat. According to him, it was only then that he fully grasped the gravity of the situation: the sight of the sea, the vessel and the belongings inside brought many thoughts to mind and made the moment extraordinarily difficult.
The family is awaiting any new updates from the authorities. Sergio insists that, despite the difficulties of the operation, the search must continue until every possibility has been exhausted.
He acknowledges that finding his father will be extremely difficult but reiterates that the family has not yet lost hope.
