By M10News Staff | © 2025 M10News. All rights reserved.
A British woman reported missing after hiring a small boat off the coast of Formentera, Spain, has been found alive, Spanish authorities confirmed on Saturday.
The 39-year-old, who has reportedly been residing on the Balearic Islands for approximately two months, triggered a major search operation after failing to return a 15-foot motorboat to La Savina port on Wednesday evening as scheduled.
Friends raised the alarm after losing contact with her, prompting an extensive search effort involving Civil Guard units, coastguard vessels, helicopters, and specialist diving teams.
Authorities confirmed that she was rescued adrift by a ferry operating the route between Ibiza and Valencia around 5pm yesterday. She was transferred to a hospital in Valencia, though her current medical condition remains unclear.
A map shows where the British woman went missing off the island of Formentera (Picture: Datawrapper)
A spokesperson for the Civil Guard stated this morning: “The British woman who vanished after hiring a boat in Formentera on Tuesday morning has been found alive.”
Spanish authorities said search efforts began immediately after she was reported missing on Wednesday evening. Two vessels from the Civil Guard Maritime Unit and specialist divers from the GEAS sub-aquatic unit were deployed.
A police source indicated the missing woman had been living on one of the Balearic Islands, though it is not yet confirmed whether she resided in Ibiza or Formentera.
The woman was last seen departing La Savina port on Tuesday. She was due to return the rental boat by 6pm Wednesday but failed to do so, prompting concerns for her safety.
Spanish coastguard officials said they received an alert about the disappearance shortly after 8.30pm on Wednesday and immediately mobilised aircraft and rescue boats.
The circumstances of how she became stranded at sea or drifted off course remain under investigation. Police have not disclosed where exactly she was rescued or how far from Formentera she was found.
It is not yet clear how much boating experience the woman had prior to this incident.
Authorities are expected to release further details about the rescue and any potential safety warnings in the coming days.
