A BRITISH holidaymaker who vanished while hiking alone in Greece has been found dead months after he was last seen asking a stranger for directions.
Hunters made the grim discovery on Saturday morning when they stumbled upon the man’s body in the remote Epionia area of Kilios, northern Karpathos.
GettyA British holidaymaker was found dead in Greece months after vanishing on a solo hike[/caption]
GettyHunters discovered the 55-year-old’s body in a remote area of Karpathos[/caption]
The 55-year-old Brit was visiting the island for the first time and travelling alone.
He disappeared on June 27 after setting out on a walk along one of Karpathos’s rugged trails.
Initial estimates suggest he lost his way while hiking on the treacherous route, Greek outlet Ethnos reported.
A witness in the fishing village of Diafani reported seeing him that Friday in June in Tristomo, where he had been photographing the coastline with his phone.
The same local said the tourist had asked for directions to reach Vroukounda via the Lahamitis path.
When the owner of the room he was renting went to clean after his booking expired, she found the space empty and reported him missing.
His rental car was later found parked and locked in the Korfasia area of Avlonas, prompting a full-scale search.
Authorities mobilised immediately, deploying firefighters, police, coast guard units, drones, sniffer dogs and volunteers to comb both land and coastline.
Teams even arrived from nearby Rhodes to help — but no trace was found until hunters happened across the body this weekend.
The remains will be transferred to Avlona then to Karpathos Hospital, before an autopsy is carried out in Rhodes to establish the exact cause of death.
The tragedy adds to a worrying spate of British holidaymaker deaths in Greece.
Earlier this month, a 73-year-old Brit was found unresponsive on a sun lounger in Agia Paraskevi, Skiathos.
Fellow tourists and a lifeguard tried desperately to revive him before a local doctor worked on him for 40 minutes — but he could not be saved.
Days before, a 68-year-old British man died while swimming off Lindos in Rhodes.
Witnesses said he appeared to lose consciousness in the water; coastguard crews rushed him ashore, but doctors at the Archangelos Health Centre pronounced him dead.
Last summer, a 71-year-old Brit was pulled lifeless from the sea in Greece.
Meanwhile in July 2024, a 66-year-old woman also died on Skiathos after collapsing in the water during a heatwave.
Despite lifeguards and doctors battling to resuscitate her, she could not be revived.
Greek officials have warned that soaring summer temperatures, unfamiliar terrain and underestimated hiking trails can turn deadly for visitors.
The Karpathos case is now expected to spark renewed calls for tourists to take extra precautions when trekking off the beaten path.
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GettyThe man disappeared on June 27 while walking a rugged island trail[/caption]