On December 11, 2022, British trail runner Darren Kay, 52, from Sedbergh, U.K., went missing on a Portuguese island off the coast of northern Africa. According to the BBC, Kay had embarked on a two-hour run with his partner before deciding to extend his run alone. He has not been seen since. Local authorities ceased their search efforts on December 21, leaving many questions unanswered.
Kay’s disappearance marks the fourth instance in two years of runners vanishing without a trace on the island. Jascha Hardenberg, a 28-year-old from Germany, disappeared on December 29, 2020. Polish runner Michal Kozek, 35, went missing on July 7, 2021. French tourist Benoit Way, also 35, vanished on September 1, 2021. These three runners, like Kay, left no clues behind—no clothing or personal items were found, despite thorough searches. All of them were equipped with backpacks, noted Madeira Island News.
Tobi Hughes of Madeira Island News raised a critical question: “How is this possible, even if they have all fallen and died?”
Madeira, known for its high peaks, massive cliffs, and rocky terrain, poses significant challenges for search and rescue operations. During the search for Kay, heavy winds and high tides further hampered efforts, as reported by the BBC.
“Accidents involving tourists exploring Madeira’s hillside walks are not uncommon, but situations in which they disappear altogether, leaving absolutely no clues as to what may have happened, are not (or perhaps, have not been, until now),” the Portugal Resident reported.
Currently, the only major connections between these cases are that all four runners were alone when they vanished, and three of them—Hardenberg, Kay, and Kozek—went missing near the town of Calheta.
As the mystery deepens, the trail running community and local authorities continue to search for answers. The disappearance of Darren Kay, along with those of Hardenberg, Kozek, and Way, remains an unsolved enigma on this otherwise idyllic island.
