Juan José Mutilba Obregón vanished during a voyage from Sicily to Greece. His wife spent three days adrift before raising the alarm. Authorities from three countries are now involved in the search.
Rescue teams from Spain, Italy, and Greece are searching for Juan José Mutilba Obregón, a 66-year-old Spanish businessman who disappeared at sea after falling overboard during a private voyage between Sicily and Greece. The incident occurred last Tuesday, leaving his wife Carmen, 67, stranded alone on their boat for three days without communication before she managed to call for help. The couple had departed from Siracusa, Sicily, heading towards Pilos on the Greek coast, when the accident happened far from land.
According to the family’s account, the journey was proceeding normally until the following morning. Mutilba, who had recently retired and often sailed with his wife, was cleaning a tuna he had caught when he slipped—possibly due to the fish’s blood—and fell into the sea. At that moment, the vessel was already about 150 miles from the nearest coast. Carmen, who holds a recreational skipper’s license but was unprepared for such an emergency, heard her husband shout for her to stop the engine but was unable to react in time. The boat continued moving away, leaving Mutilba behind in open water.
For three days, Carmen remained adrift, unable to contact emergency services due to a lack of signal. She had food on board and repeatedly checked for coverage, but only managed to reach land on Friday, when she finally spoke to a friend of her husband who had been monitoring their route and had already noticed the vessel’s deviation. Once contact was made, the alarm was raised and Spanish maritime authorities coordinated with their Italian and Greek counterparts to launch a search operation. Several rescue vessels were dispatched to the area, and Carmen was eventually brought safely to Pilos. The search for Mutilba remains ongoing, with the family expressing frustration over the limited information provided by authorities.
Sergio Mutilba, the couple’s son, has traveled to Pilos to follow the developments and has called for continued efforts and greater involvement from Spanish authorities. He emphasized the need for more resources and clearer updates on the search. The family’s business background is rooted in technology and water distribution, with Juan José Mutilba having led D'ors Informática and later Mutobre, S.L., before retiring to focus on sailing. Now, with Carmen safe, the family waits in Pilos for any news regarding his whereabouts.
Incidents involving private vessels in international waters highlight the challenges of maritime safety and coordination between countries. The Mediterranean, a popular route for both commercial and recreational navigation, sees thousands of Spanish citizens travel its waters each year. Spanish maritime authorities routinely collaborate with neighboring countries in rescue operations, but cases far from shore can complicate response times and communication. The ongoing search for Juan José Mutilba underscores the importance of emergency preparedness and international cooperation at sea.
