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British man goes missing during trail run in Madeira

British fell runner Darren Kay went out for a run with his partner and did not return when expected

Darren Kay Photo by: Darren Kay/Facebook

British trail runner Darren Kay of Sedbergh, U.K., has been missing on the Portuguese island of Madeira since Sunday morning. According to the BBC, Kay and his partner went for a one-hour run together from their holiday Airbnb in the village of Calheta, but when she stopped, he planned to carry on for another 30 minutes, then did not return.

Darren Kay
Darren Kay, 52, went missing on Sunday morning during a trail run after leaving his partner for additional mileage. Photo: Darren Kay/Facebook

Madeira is known for its stunning trails, rugged terrain, high cliffs, volcanoes and rocky beaches. Kay’s partner notified authorities within a few hours after they parted ways on the trail, and an island-wide search by local police is still in progress. 

On Tuesday, Kay’s family flew to the island to help but the search was postponed to Dec. 14 due to inclement weather, according to Madeira Island News. The search for Kay resumed at 10 a.m. Wednesday by the Calheta fire department. 

Kay is a 52-year-old trail runner with Calder Valley Fell Runners club near Bolton, U.K., where he avidly competes in fell races (mountain races).

On average, the island receives over 4.5 inches of rain in December, making trail conditions treacherous. Sunday’s weather was 18 C and overcast, but the island received rain the four days prior. Kay’s brother told the BBC that bad conditions and high tides stopped the search party from accessing some areas on the island.

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