Strong winds stop search for missing swimmer (Updated)

Strong winds on Monday afternoon stopped the search at sea for a 70-year-old woman who went missing when she went swimming in the Phinikoudes area in Larnaca on Sunday.

The search with thermal cameras and police boats which had continued on Monday morning stopped around 3pm due to the strong winds, police said.

But small groups of officers remained on foot patrol in the area of the breakwaters on the coastal front of Oroklini.

Authorities were alerted at around 3.40pm on Sunday of the woman’s disappearance and sent police boats and helicopters to the area to search for her.

The woman had gone to the beach with a friend and went into the water for a swim at around 1pm but was not seen again.

The search and rescue operation is coordinated by the Larnaca joint rescue coordination centre (JRCC).

“Despite the great efforts of the search and rescue teams the woman was not located until 9.30pm in the evening, despite the fact that from 6.30pm in the afternoon the searches continued by small patrols, thermal cameras and drones,” a statement by JRCC said.

JRCC urged anybody who has information which may help locate the missing swimmer to contact the centre at 1441.