Sergio Mutilba is still coming to terms with the fact that his father has disappeared in the Mediterranean Sea. Juan José Mutilba, 66 years old, fell into the water from his boat, Theorema, a week ago. His mother, partner of this retired businessman from Burgos, was only able to alert the authorities three days later, as she was left adrift and without coverage after failing to help her husband, whom she lost sight of in a vast marine area between Italy and Greece. The family has endured days of tension and is pleading for attention to mobilize resources in the search for the man, aware of the complexity of the operation but urging the allocation of resources for them. His son points out that the boat was new and that perhaps his mother did not know how to handle it to stop it and rescue Juan José. He still shows faith: “We want them to look for him; it’s very difficult, but we have hope.”
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The missing man’s son speaks to EL PAÍS by phone. He is in Spain after several days in Pilos (Greece), the place his parents hoped to reach on a journey that started in Sicily (Italy). A brother of his has stayed there. He, for his part, has been attending to his mother ―in a state of nerves and extreme pressure―, whom he has had great difficulty convincing to return to Madrid. Once in the capital, the woman stayed with a sister with whom she has a strong bond and went to the Emergency Room to receive treatment on the recommendation of a psychologist who attended her in Greece. They prefer that she not return to Burgos, to her home; she also refuses. “She wanted to cling to the boat, stay there, until dad was there… She doesn’t accept it,” he points out.
Sergio acknowledges that he is “worried” about the days his mother has spent alone. “The disappearance of her husband, our father, and being alone for three days: what she must have done, what she must have thought…” he says sorrowfully. The little information they have comes thanks to Maritime Rescue, with whom an aunt of his contacted. This government office acts as a liaison and informs them of what Italy is doing, which together with Greece coordinates the efforts. “They told us that yesterday they searched four times, and that they will be informed every 12 hours. My aunt went to the Spanish consulate in Rome to find out what protocols are active,” the man from Burgos indicates.
The missing man’s son insists on demanding resources to find, or at least try to find, Juan José. He details that he called the Ministry of the Interior, where “a civil servant was shocked when I told her everything.” “She told us she would consult, but we don’t know anything; no one from the Spanish Government has contacted us to tell us how we should proceed. We are not receiving the help that I think we should be receiving,” he assures.
The incident occurred on August 18 and was reported on Friday the 21st, more than enough days to theorize about what happened: they know that the retired businessman had caught a tuna and fell into the sea after slipping on the fish’s blood. His partner, in panic, failed to stop the sailboat and was left adrift while the man begged her to stop it. Sergio explains that since his father retired in 2021, after having started a computer company and then another distributing water drums for offices, “they had been traveling around the world, mainly around the Mediterranean.” This year they changed boats “to a much bigger one, more difficult to handle.” “Maybe it wasn’t good because they hadn’t had it for long; my father would know how to handle it perfectly, because he is a nautical expert, but maybe my mother didn’t,” suspects the son of both.
Sergio has spent a few days with his mother in Madrid, but this very Tuesday he returns to Burgos to try to get back to normal work and his activities, while hoping for news about Juan José. He admits he is still processing what happened and his voice breaks when he recalls the image of the ship upon his arrival in Greece. “When I arrived at the boat in Pilos… I was aware of the situation, I saw the sea and pff… It was very difficult for me… I had some thoughts seeing the boat and its belongings… I am still internalizing everything; when this ends… It’s very difficult to find him, but we have hope,” he says.
