Israeli Man, 46, Reported Missing While Hiking Greece's Mount Olympus
An Israeli tourist has been reported missing in northern Greece after setting out over the weekend to hike in the Mount Olympus region, Israeli media and family members said.
Ami Yogev, 46, was reported missing Tuesday evening, according to Israel's KAN News, which cited statements from his family. Relatives told reporters that he began the hike on Sunday and that they lost contact with him shortly afterward.
The last reported contact was with his mother, to whom he sent a photo from the second stop on the trail, according to the family accounts.
Mount Olympus is Greece's highest mountain and a popular destination for hikers, but its trails can be demanding, with steep terrain and rapidly changing weather. The region is patrolled and assisted by specialized mountain rescue teams, and searches in remote sections can take time to organize, especially when they involve foreign nationals and coordination between local and diplomatic authorities.
Israel's Foreign Ministry said the Israeli consul in Athens and the ministry's Department for Israelis Abroad had been in contact with local authorities. They were working to provide "all possible assistance" in locating the Israeli with whom contact has been lost in Greece, the ministry said in a statement.
A post about Yogev in a Facebook group for Israelis traveling in northern Greece said his family was in a state of "extreme anxiety." The post claimed that he had not taken out travel insurance and that his family could not afford to hire a private rescue team.
Sivan Zamir, a tour guide who runs the Facebook group, said she planned to travel to the area to launch a search effort. She said she was in contact with mountain rescue operatives and local emergency units.
Zamir encouraged travelers in the area to speak out if they had seen or heard of anyone matching Yogev's description out on the trails.
The case underscores the challenges that can arise when a hiker disappears abroad, from the cost of private search efforts to the need for quick coordination among police, emergency crews, diplomats and volunteer networks. Further details about the search were not immediately available.