Police and family members are searching for a 49-year-old teacher who disappeared in Faro last week, prompting growing concern among relatives, colleagues and students.
PSP police have confirmed that Carla Rocha, a teacher at Pinheiro e Rosa secondary school, was last seen on Friday, March 6 in Faro.
According to family members, she was wearing jeans, a brown jacket and brown boots at the time she disappeared.
Rocha is currently on medical leave, and relatives say she left a farewell note before going missing.
Friends, family members and volunteers have been searching around Faro and nearby areas in recent days.
Appeals circulating on social media are asking people who regularly move through quieter or coastal areas – including drivers, fishermen, security guards and beach workers – to remain alert.
Search efforts have focused particularly on coastal zones, natural areas and parts of the Ria Formosa, where foot traffic is lighter.
“We are waiting for someone to see her. We don’t know what has happened to Carla,” Marta Silva, a cousin who has been helping coordinate searches with relatives and friends, told tabloid newspaper Correio da Manhã.
Students, colleagues and members of the public have also joined the search effort.
“She was very loved by the people around her, from students to people who didn’t even know her personally,” Silva said.
Carla Rocha’s brother, Hélder Rocha, travelled from Braga to the Algarve after hearing about the disappearance. He said the family still hopes she can be found alive and return home safely.
Several reported sightings in recent days have not been confirmed.
According to local reports, Rocha had not been admitted to any hospital as of the latest updates, and authorities say there is currently no indication of a crime.
Anyone with information is urged to contact emergency services by calling 112 or to report it directly to the nearest PSP police station.
