Canadian tourist missing in Greece for more than month

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OTTAWA — The family of a Mississauga man who went missing in Greece last month are appealing for help locating him.

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The last time Filip Ziaja, 38, was heard from was July 12.

Ziaja, a seasoned traveller, was staying at an AirBnB in Thessaloniki, about 300 km north of Athens, with plans to hike Mount Olympus that weekend.

He hasn’t been heard from since.

Greek and Canadian authorities were informed of Ziaja’s disappearance on July 26.

Ziaja’s belongings were found in his AirBnB room by local police.

Posting about Ziaja’s disappearance on social media resulted in the family receiving a number of leads.

One witness claimed to see a man resembling Ziaja near the area where he planned to begin hiking Mount Olympus.

“One account alleged seeing someone who fit Filip’s description approaching their party,” read the family’s news release.

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“The person alleged to be Filip was described to look ‘rough’ and ‘similar to how a homeless person may look’, a day or two after July 12.”

That unknown male allegedly approached a group of picnickers requesting food and water, but was denied.

A second witness reported seeing Ziaja in the same area a few days later.

Ziaja is described as a 6-foot-2, 180-pounds white male with brown eyes and short brown hair.

He is a software engineer by trade, and speaks both Polish and English.

Ziaja is the latest in a string of worrying tourist disappearances in Greece this summer.

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An unseasonably warm summer is thought to be behind six tourists who went missing in nine days back in June.

All were thought to have gone hiking during the blazing heatwave.

Among those found dead was 67 British television personality Michael Mosley, is thought to have died just hours after departing for a hike on the island of Symi in the Aegean Sea.

Reports suggest he took a wrong turn during his hike.

A statement from Global Affairs Canada says they’re aware of a Canadian who is missing in Greece, and that consular officials are in touch with the family.

Further information could not be disclosed due to privacy concerns.

Anybody with information is asked to email the family at [email protected].

[email protected]
X: @bryanpassifiume

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