After vanishing for four days on the open waters of the Mediterranean, a 39-year-old British woman who disappeared after renting a boat in Spain has been found alive—bringing a dramatic end to a tense and emotional search effort.
The woman, identified by locals as Mary Gavin, had rented a 15-foot Quicksilver 475 Axess motorboat at the port of La Savina in Formentera on Tuesday morning. She was due to return it by 6 p.m. Wednesday, but when she failed to show up, friends grew alarmed and contacted authorities.
A massive search and rescue operation was immediately launched, involving the Spanish coast guard’s boats and helicopters, Civil Guard aerial units, and specialist police divers. Over the course of several days, they scoured the waters around the Balearic Islands, fearing the worst.
Then, at around 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 22, a passing boat spotted her drifting between Ibiza and Valencia—weak, sun-exposed, but miraculously alive. She was promptly transferred to a hospital in Valencia, where she is currently receiving medical attention. As of the morning of June 23, her condition remains undisclosed.
Authorities have since recovered the rented vessel, which was towed back to Ibiza by the coast guard.
A spokesperson for the Civil Guard confirmed: “The British woman who vanished after hiring a boat in Formentera on Tuesday morning has been found alive.”
Earlier, the police had detailed the timeline of events: “The missing woman is a 39-year-old British national who hired the boat in the port of La Savina in Formentera on Tuesday morning. She was supposed to return it around 6 p.m. on Wednesday, and when she didn’t, her friends became worried and raised the alarm.”
They added that the Judicial Police Unit, Maritime Unit, and GEAS underwater specialists had all been involved in the intense operation.
While the full story of how Mary survived alone at sea for four days has yet to emerge, her safe return is being hailed as nothing short of a miracle.