A drone, GEAS, and a helicopter: third day searching for the missing young man in Lanzarote

An American man disappeared last Sunday in the Los Charcones area of Playa Blanca while walking in the area with three friends

January 27 2026 (08:52 WET)
Updated in January 27 2026 (11:17 WET)
WhatsApp Image 2026 01 27 at 07.10.39 (1)
WhatsApp Image 2026 01 27 at 07.10.39 (1)

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Lanzarote's Emergency services have resumed the search for the young American who disappeared last Sunday in the Los Charcones area of Playa Blanca (Yaiza) for the third consecutive day.

From early this morning, January 27, the Yaiza Local Police have begun flying a drone in an attempt to locate this young man, around twenty years old. They have since been joined by firefighters from the Emergency Consortium and a 112 helicopter.

In addition, after **the sea conditions improved**, two teams from the Civil Guard's special underwater activities group (GEAS) have also joined the search

Civil Protection units from Yaiza and La Oliva have joined the search operation, covering land and sea with jet skis. The Guardamar Polimnia from Maritime Rescue is also already in the search area.

It should be remembered that last Sunday, around 3:05 PM, the Emergency and Security Coordinating Center 112 (CECOES) received an alert from four young people who were in distress in Los Charcones, a dangerous area of the town. 

Four young Americans studying in Madrid, aged between 19 and 21, were spending a few days in a vacation home in Arrecife. Two of them were dragged out to sea, while the other two managed to get out on their own from the breakwater, sustaining minor injuries. 

The helicopter of the Emergency and Rescue Group (GES) managed to rescue the third of them alive, while the fourth of the young people could not be located.

The area where the events occurred was closed to swimming due to a orange alert for strong surf in Lanzarote, with waves that could reach up to six meters in height.

On the first day of the search, firefighters from the Lanzarote Security and Emergency Consortium, the Civil Guard, and air assets, in addition to the Canary Islands Emergency Service, attempted to locate the missing young man in the area.At 8:00 PM that Sunday, poor visibility and adverse sea conditions forced its suspension for the night, to be resumed first thing Monday morning. Neither on this past Monday could the GES helicopter and the drone from the Local Police of Yaiza locate the young man

WhatsApp Image 2026 01 26 at 11.12.15 AMcc
Second day of unsuccessful search for the missing young man in Los Charcones
GES helicopter during a rescue
Search suspended for young man dragged out to sea in Los Charcones
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