Joshua Parfitt
MISSING British citizen Mark Palmer has been allegedly sighted near Sax and Elda-Petrer on the Costa Blanca.
His father, uncle and brother confirmed the sighting after returning home from a poster campaign that saw them plaster posters and drop flyers to as far as Sant Vicente del Raspeig.
Family members of the 32-year-old spent five days in Spain – their third trip in their search for Mark, who has ‘suicidal’ tendencies and disappeared on April 27.
“I have struggled emotionally – it is really, really difficult to keep it all together out here in Spain,” Mark’s father, Mark Elek-Palmer, said in a post on social media.
“Once again, I would like to thank all the well wishers. Honestly, without your support it would be virtually impossible for us to be out here searching in the heat.”
Mark’s family have raised 3,725 gbp through GoFundMe, without which Mark’s dad would not ‘be able to afford another trip out to Spain’.
National police have reportedly been out every Sunday searching along with a team of 30 volunteers and a dog unit.
The family also made two previous trips to Spain, searching ‘caves’ and ‘storm drains’ as they scoured the area surrounding Ontinyent where Mark was last sighted.
They previously criticised Spanish police’s tardiness, however, in asking Interpol for Mark’s mobile phone records four whole weeks after his April disappearance.
“There still hasn’t been any progress with the phone or CCTV,” Mark’s father said in a post dated May 26.
He previously expressed worry about his son’s mental health, saying Mark ‘sent his friend what we believe is a suicide note’ on the morning of April 27.
“He has always suffered with a bit of depression, in the past we would help him get through it.
“He moved to Spain in December, we thought it was a fresh start for him, and when we spoke to him he seemed to be doing well.
“But we think the thoughts got in his head recently, he started drinking, and things may have started spiralling out of control.”
Mark’s father believes his son is ‘on the move’ from one town to another on the Costa Blanca.
He praised expats for their help as he prepared to return home last Saturday.
“Let’s hope and pray something will turn up and we can find Mark and bring him home safely,” he said.
“Bless you all, I am once again truly humbled.”
