Tragic outcome in Serres: Body identified as missing fire service officer

The search for the 45-year-old Fire Service commander, who had been missing since December 23, has ended tragically, as the body discovered earlier on Saturday (January 3) on Mount Beles is believed to be his.

Specifically, the body was located in the area known as “Choni,” at an altitude of 1,600 meters, while his vehicle was found approximately 200 meters away.

According to information, his colleagues recognized items of clothing belonging to him. A social media post by volunteer rescuers from OFKATH states the following:

“We inform you that the body and the vehicle of the missing man from Ano Poroia, Serres, were located in a hard-to-reach area by fellow hunters on Mount Beles, in the ‘Choni’ area. Our deepest condolences to the family.”

However, no official announcements have yet been made regarding the identity of the deceased or the causes of death.

A team from the Hellenic Police’s Forensic Investigations Division has gone to the site where the body was found to collect evidence and assess traces and material that are expected to help shed light on the case.

It is recalled that the disappearance of the 45-year-old man, who was commander of the Fire Service Unit of Ano Poroia, was reported to the Poroia Police Department by his wife, after it was established that he had been absent from home for more than 24 hours, without having appeared at his workplace. Fire Service forces were immediately mobilized, with firefighters from the Poroia unit and neighboring areas carrying out extensive searches in mountainous, rural, and hard-to-access locations.

According to information, although the 45-year-old was officially on leave, he was known to regularly visit the Fire Service unit.