Missing German tourists back safe and sound

Missing German tourists back safe and sound

28-March-2014
A German couple who had been reported missing since Tuesday March 25 when they left the guesthouse at Beau Vallon where they were staying, are back safe and sound, the police announced yesterday.
They said they were in the south of Mahé but didn’t say exactly where.
The couple -- Jurgen Reinhold, aged 47, and Heike Reinhold, 39, arrived in the country on Saturday March 15 and were staying at the Palm Beach hotel on Praslin.
They came to Mahé on Monday March 24 and were booked at the Bord Mer Villa at Beau Vallon.
The police launched a search for these two German nationals as soon as they were reported missing. “What we understand is that they told the guesthouse where they were staying that they were going to the south of Mahé but until their return yesterday, the guesthouse has had no contact with them as it was understood that they did not have a mobile phone and nobody knew of their whereabouts,” Jean Toussaint, the public relations officer in the Police Department told the press.
He said the police had even put out announcements on both the radio and television regarding the tourists’ disappearance and still nothing was heard until late yesterday afternoon when they returned.
Even if the tourists are back, the police are still making an appeal to any individual who knows or who has any information on where those two German nationals could have been to contact the nearest police station.
As it is not the first time that such incidents happen in Seychelles, Mr Toussaint said the police would also like to call on all DMCs (destination management companies), tour operators and travel agencies to be more vigilant or keep in touch with their clients when they leave their hotels/guesthouses to go out exploring the island on their own.
He said the police have even called on the Immigration Department for assistance because it has happened in the past that certain visitors who had gone missing had already left the country, though it was not the case regarding these two Germans.

Noting that the length of time allowed before a search is launched for a missing person is 48 hours, Mr Toussaint said in certain circumstances the police assess the situation and a search is launched even under 24 hours, especially if the reported missing person is not someone who is in the habit of leaving his home for long periods of time.
He noted there have also been instances where reported missing persons were in police custody and this is because some people give false identity when arrested.
Also related to cases of reported missing persons, Mr Toussaint said the police have always asked members of the public to inform others like relatives on their whereabouts and when they expect to come back.
Mr Toussaint said last year 93 cases of missing minors (between the ages of 6 and 17) were reported, among which 68 were girls.

“This is an alarming situation because taking into consideration incidents that are happening everyday, the children are not conscious that they are ‘flirting’ with a lot of danger and that their lives are at risk,” said Mr Toussaint.

He therefore launched an appeal to children, parents and adults to be conscious of such dangers and to take their responsibilities.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=241162