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The death of a British pensioner who had been missing in Tenerife for four months has been tragically confirmed. Gary Ferns, originally from Manchester, was last seen getting into an ambulance near Playa Las Vistas in Los Cristianos on 19th December.
Reports at the time stated that he was taken to El Mojón Hospital for treatment of an illness, but was discharged the next day and never seen again, but these have since been proven to be incorrect.
It has since emerged that he was taken to the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria University Hospital in Santa Cruz for treatment, which is where he sadly passed away without being formally identified.
Persistent work from Missing Persons Tenerife and Gary’s friends has meant that Gary’s sister, Elaine Schmidt-Ferns, has been able to formally identify him after a DNA test, bringing a heartbreaking end to the search led by his family.
In an emotional post on Facebook, Ms Schmidt-Ferns expressed her grief and frustration at the delay in receiving the DNA results. She had travelled to Tenerife in February to meet the police. While she was there, she was informed a body had been found, not on the streets as initially suspected, but within the hospital itself. The body had no identification, which contributed to the delay in confirming his identity. Ms Schmidt-Ferns provided a DNA sample, which was subsequently found to match the body.
She wrote: “It is with deep sorrow and sadness that I announce the passing of my brother Gary. This has been a very bad time for all our family and, of course, Gary’s dear friends in the UK and Tenerife.”
She added that while the family now had confirmation of Gary’s death, further details, including the cause and exact date of death, would be revealed once their solicitor receives the necessary paperwork and death certificate.
The hospital where Mr Ferns was eventually found has not issued any public statement regarding the incident or the delay in identifying the body.
The case has prompted questions about the handling of his disappearance and the time it took to confirm his identity. However, for now, his loved ones are left mourning his loss while finally beginning the process of closure.
Missing Persons Tenerife stated: “We are very sorry that this case has had such a sad outcome, and no amount of early search work could have prevented the outcome. What this case has highlighted is the enormous difficulty and long bureaucratic process in formally identifying a body in a hospital mortuary, where no documentation accompanied the patient.”
