TENERIFE (Reuters) – Spanish rescuers were searching the waters off the coast of Tenerife for a one-year-old girl on Friday after the body of a six-year-old girl, presumed to be her sister, was pulled from a 1,000 meter depth.
Their father, Tomas G., is the main suspect in the disappearance of Olivia, 6, and Anna, 1, after failing to return them to their mother as agreed at the end of April. He is also missing.
The body of the 6-year old, whom authorities said in all likelihood was that of Olivia, was found near where her father’s boat was found empty adrift at sea.
“The body was at a depth of 1,000 metres inside of a sports bag tied to an anchor. Another empty sports bag was also found next to them,” a court statement said.
“Pending more conclusive forensic medical evidence, it (the body) could almost certainly correspond to Olivia G.”, the court said.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Twitter: “I cannot imagine the pain of the mother of little Anna and Olivia, who disappeared in Tenerife, at the terrible news we have just heard.”
“My embrace, my affection and that of all my family, who today stand in solidarity with Beatriz and her loved ones”, he said.
A minute of silence in memory of the sisters will be held at noon (1100 GMT) in front of Tenerife’s city hall.
(Reporting by Borja Suarez in Tenerife, Emma Pinedo and Cristina Galan in Madrid; writing by Emma Pinedo; Editing by Ingrid Melander and Raissa Kasolowsky)
