The family of a British tourist named Cormac is seeking the public's assistance to locate him after he disappeared while on holiday in Palomares, a coastal town in Spain's Almeria region. Cormac was last seen on July 8 and was expected to return home but has not. His sister, Sarah Arney, shared an appeal on social media, requesting anyone with information about his whereabouts to come forward.
Cormac is described as being approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall, with brown hair and glasses. His family has reported his disappearance to the police and the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Officials have informed the family that police do not believe Cormac was caught up in the recent wildfires that affected the region.
These wildfires, which swept through parts of Almeria, particularly near Bédar, resulted in at least 13 fatalities. Spanish authorities confirmed that 12 of the victims were foreign nationals, including seven from the United Kingdom, three from Belgium, and one each from France and the United States, with one Spanish citizen also among the deceased. Among the feared victims is Annette Kilgore, a British woman who had purchased a home in Bédar after appearing on the television show "A Place in the Sun."
The fires, fueled by high winds and dry conditions exacerbated by high temperatures, devastated approximately 7,000 hectares of land. Emergency services recovered bodies that were severely burned, requiring DNA analysis for identification. The fire, believed to have been caused by a fallen electrical cable, has since been brought under control, and residents have been allowed to return to their homes.
Spain has experienced an increase in severe heatwaves and wildfires in recent years, with temperatures frequently exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, creating conditions conducive to fire outbreaks. In 2025, the country saw over 393,000 hectares destroyed by fire, the highest figure in recent history, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.