Woman disappeared reportedly after leaving the restaurant where she works
Authorities are carrying out searches in the Guadiana River after discovering the submerged vehicle of a woman who went missing on Monday night (September 30).
The vehicle was found by firefighter divers, João Afonso Martins, the captain of the port of Vila Real de Santo António, told Lusa news agency.
“We found the vehicle, but no one was inside,” he noted, explaining that diving operations commenced at 9.30am once the tides allowed.
The car was located after tire marks were discovered on a small curb by the road on Tuesday afternoon, indicating that the car may have veered off and plunged into the river.
The vehicle, belonging to a woman who reportedly disappeared after leaving her workplace at a local restaurant, was found 15 metres from the shore.
Given that the woman was not in the vehicle, authorities have mobilised several teams to search both the water and the riverbanks, covering both the Portuguese and Spanish sides of the Guadiana.
Seven vessels from the maritime police and GNR police’s coastal control unit, as well as the national lifeguard institute and Seawatch project have been deployed.
