Search ends on Greek island for Hermosan Albert Calibet 

Hermosa Beach resident Oliver Calibet was last heard from on June 11, when he sent his girlfriend a photograph from a hiking trail on the Greek island of Amorgos. Photo courtesy of Greek Tourism

by Kevin Cody

The search on the Greek island of Amorgos for Hermosa Beach resident Albert Calibet, 59, has ended, his brother Oliver Calibet announced Monday July 1 on GoFundMe. The retired Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputy was reported missing on June 11, after embarking on what was expected to be a four hour hike. Calibet, 59, was a frequent visitor to the island and had completed the hike many times before.

A friend reported Calibet missing after he failed to show up for a planned lunch at the end of his hike.

In the days following his brother’s disappearance, Oliver Calibet, who is also a Hermosa resident, brought a search and rescue team to Amorgos in hopes of finding his brother. 

Upon arriving in Greece, Oliver Calibet told Easy Reader in a phone interview, “The Greeks don’t search at night. They have limited resources.”

A week later, he expressed frustration with the U.S. Embassy in Greece for its failure to assist in the search.

“I expected more from the U.S.,” he said in a YouTube video. “My brother is a first responder who helped a lot of people through his career. This is a small island, smaller than Catalina. He could have been found by now with just a little effort. But we’ve gotten nothing from the U.S, government, just a bunch of phone calls.”

In Monday’s GoFundMe post, the brother wrote, “Despite our relentless efforts and determination, Albert remains missing. I deeply fear that foul play has occurred as we found zero evidence of Albert anywhere on the island.”

Greece was in the midst of a heatwave the day Calibet disappeared, leading to speculation he had succumbed to the heat, as had at least three other other tourists that week. But other hikers on the trail reported seeing him with water, and friends described  him as always  exceptionally fit. He lived two blocks from the beach and swam year ‘round in the ocean without a wetsuit. He also ran daily in the soft sand worked our regularly at 24 Hour Fitness in Hermosa Beach.

Oliver Calibet expressed appreciation for the community support, and support from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, where Albert Calibet worked for over 20 years.

“Your support has been a source of strength for us during this incredibly challenging time. I also wish to thank the search and rescue teams who assisted us and those that donated to the GoFundMe to make search and rescue efforts possible. We were truly hoping for a different outcome,” he wrote in his GoFundMe post. 

He also offered some advice to the Greek government.

“Given that missing tourists seem to be commonplace in Greece, I deeply urge the Greek government to create a cohesive process and procedure for this type of event. From what I was told the current EU law prohibits the release of cell phone tower data. In missing person cases such as this, the law should be modified.” ER

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