The British man who went missing on Monday and still hasn’t been found after the boat he was travelling in overturned at Santa Clara dam in Ourique, Beja has been identified as Richard Chapelow.
He was a guest of “property tycoon” Jon Hunt, the founder of the Foxtons estate agency, who reportedly owns property in the area.
A statement issued on behalf of the Hunt family said: “My family and I are devastated by the loss of Richard, following a tragic accident at Santa Clara Dam.
“Our thoughts and prayers are wholly with Richard’s family, and we ask that both families are given space to grieve such a painful loss.
“We will be working closely with the Portuguese authorities to understand what has happened, and are grateful to the local police and fire services for their efforts. It is a time of great sorrow.”
British press reported that a foreign office spokeswoman confirmed that assistance was being provided “to the family of a British man reported missing in Portugal”.
According to reports, Richard Chapelow was one of four Brits in a “banana-type boat” that overturned at the dam, but while the others made it to dry land the man never reappeared.
Local fire chief Mário Batista explained that the banana boat was being towed by a vessel, thought to be a speedboat carrying another six Brits.
Searches have been underway since Monday but the man has not yet been found.
According to Batista, the 33m depth and lack of visibility below 16m has made the search operations even more difficult.
michael.bruxo@algarveresident.com
