A British pensioner, identified as Susan Hornsby, was airlifted to a hospital after being discovered in a ravine in Tenerife nearly 30 hours after she went missing. The 76-year-old vanished while hiking alone on Friday morning, prompting a widespread appeal for information from her family and local authorities.
The alarm was raised by Louise Bakewell, Hornsby’s sister-in-law, who took to social media to seek assistance. In her initial post, she expressed concern, stating, “Can anyone help? My sister-in-law’s mother Susan Hornsby, aged 76, has gone missing in Tenerife after a walk on her own. She was wearing a red coat and white hat.” The post quickly garnered attention, as the family struggled with language barriers in communicating with local police.
According to updates from Bakewell, Hornsby set off on a three-hour hike at approximately 10:00 local time. She sent an email around midday indicating she required medical assistance. By early afternoon, Bakewell reported that Hornsby had been missing for over 27 hours. She mentioned that the British embassy in Tenerife was closed for the weekend, further complicating the situation.
The search focused on a well-known walking route near Casa Paca restaurant, located close to Benijo Beach in northeast Tenerife. As the hours passed without news, the family remained anxious for updates. Just after 14:00 local time on Saturday, Bakewell shared the welcome news that Hornsby had been found alive. “I managed to find her IMEI number and she’s just been found, alive after 28 hours. She is being airlifted to hospital. I’m so relieved,” she announced.
In a subsequent update posted to a Facebook group dedicated to assisting missing persons in Tenerife, Bakewell expressed her gratitude for the community’s support. She stated, “She’s been found alive and is being airlifted to hospital. Thank you so much for all your help and advice. My faith in humanity is well and truly restored.”
Bakewell clarified that Hornsby had embarked on her hike alone and became unwell during the journey. She also urged others to enable location tracking features on their devices, noting that Hornsby did not have the “Find My iPhone” feature activated.
The successful rescue highlights the importance of community engagement and the role of social media in mobilizing support during emergencies. Local authorities are now focusing on ensuring additional safety measures for hikers in the area to prevent similar incidents in the future.
