The girlfriend of a retired police officer who went missing while walking in Greece has heavily criticized Mediterranean authorities for doing nothing to help in the search for her partner.
Debbie LeShane said she was forced to mount her own rescue mission for her boyfriend Albert Calibet, a former Los Angeles County sheriff.
The 59-year-old left around 7 a.m. last Tuesday for his walk on Amorgos – a rocky island with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants.
Calibet, an experienced hiker with dual citizenship in Greece, is one of seven tourists to go missing or die in the country this month as it battles a ‘history-making’ 111F heatwave.
LeShane told the New York Post Monday: ‘I am disgusted by the way we have been treated.
Debbie Leshane, the girlfriend of retired police officer Albert Calibet, who went missing while walking in Greece, has heavily criticized authorities in the Mediterranean for doing nothing to help in the search for her partner.
Calibet left for his walk on Amorgos, a rocky island with less than 2,000 inhabitants, last Tuesday around 7 a.m., but did not arrive at his intended destination
“Albert has been a first responder since he was 25 years old. Everyone deserves to be wanted. But he really deserves it.’
LeShane, Calibet’s brother Oliver and a handful of their friends traveled 32 hours to Greece to take matters into their own hands. They’ve been looking for him in the cliffs for the past week.
The family is particularly concerned about the sweltering heat hitting the island, with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees in the past week.
“We literally had splinters going through our shoes and into our feet. It’s ridiculous, it’s the seventh day and we’re not panicking anymore,” she said.
LeShane blasted Greek authorities for offering only a short helicopter search and failing to deliver on promises of drones, dogs and further flights.
Oliver offered to pay for additional efforts, such as flying a helicopter and using search dogs, but he was turned down.
LeShane insists sniffer dogs “could have saved his life.”
Pictured: Map of where Calibet would end up after his walk
Calibet is a former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy and an experienced hiker with dual citizenship in Greece
The search, consisting of Calibet’s family and friends, has been going on every day since 5 a.m. They finish late and keep thinking about where they want to go.
However, LeShane said Greek authorities do not work after sunset, saying their general attitude could be described as “let’s just go to bed and let Albert sleep outside.”
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna released a statement on the 59-year-old’s disappearance.
“We are actively working with multiple agencies abroad to assist in the search for Deputy Calibet and will use all available resources to return him to those who love him,” Luna said.
Calibet’s last correspondence was a phone call to LeShane before he started his walk. He sent her a photo of a trailhead sign around 9:30 am.
Two hours later, footage showed Calibet leaving the village of Aegiali, where he picked up soft drinks and a bottle of water.
LeShane said she knew something was wrong when he didn’t respond to her texts after she woke up the next day.
She criticized authorities for refusing to access Calibet’s phone records and blasted the U.S. Embassy for not being more helpful.
“I’m staying here until they find the love of my life,” Leshane said.
In the photo: Dr. Michael Mosley (right), who went missing earlier this month, with his wife Clare Bailey
This is the photo of Mosley that was posted on a call after he went missing on Wednesday while on holiday in Greece
a GoFundMe is organized to help Calibet friends and family obtain more resources and equipment in their efforts to locate him.
Another missing tourist, Dr. Michael Mosley, 67, was found dead earlier this month after a five-day search on the Greek holiday island of Symi.
Dr. Mosley – one of Britain’s best-known doctors who popularized the 5:2 diet and regularly appeared on TV – was with friends on the beach of Agios Nikolaos on Wednesday before going for a walk alone to the center of the island.