Updated 5.54pm
A 57-year-old Polish man who had been missing in Gozo since Tuesday, has been found “safe and sound”, the police said.
Friends of Robert Ławniczak, who is originally from Poland but lives in Xagħra, Gozo, had grown increasingly concerned for his well-being and whereabouts. He has a son and works at Go to Gozo Tours. He was last seen on Monday evening and has not been heard from since.
On Thursday afternoon, the police said that Ławniczak had been found and is no longer considered missing.
Appeals for the man’s whereabouts had appeared on social media.
“If you are in the Xerri’s Grotto / Cornucopia area of Xagħra, please check your property, gardens, or any nearby open land/valleys. Robert may be incapacitated, unconscious, or stuck,” said Paulina Zaborowicz, a friend of Ławniczak and his partner, Małgorzata.
Those close to him said he would likely be wearing an orange hoodie and/or a dark blue jacket.
Social media posts about the missing man have appeared in the Facebook group Gozo Community, among others.Ławniczak was last in contact at around 6.30pm on Monday. His phone was no longer active on Tuesday. He had told his partner and his workplace that he intended to travel to Malta on Tuesday afternoon.
However, when a wellness check was carried out later that evening, his car was found parked in the garage, his phone was switched off, and his bag was packed and ready to go but he was not there or in Malta to their knowledge.
“He isn’t the sort of person to go off on his own like this,” said his partner of eight years, Małgorzata Larczyńska-Paszczyk, who lives in Malta. She described her partner, whom she has known since their student days in Poland, as “empathetic, sensible and funny”.
She explained that while he enjoyed diving alone, all his diving equipment was found at home. They also considered the possibility that he may have attempted to help another Polish 13-year-old, Oliwia Wojnowska, who died this week after being swept into the sea at Ċirkewwa.
“A friend checked in Ċirkewwa to see if he was there just in case and unfortunately, they didn’t see him,” Larczyńska-Paszczyk said.
While information remains limited, Zaborowicz said someone may have seen a man matching Ławniczak’s description in Comino “picking something up”, though the witness was unsure whether it was him. Larczyńska-Paszczyk expressed scepticism about the sighting.
As of Thursday afternoon, two Emergency Response and Rescue Corps teams were conducting a search operation in Xagħra, according to Zaborowicz.
His friends are urging the public to check sheds, garages, construction sites and any open areas. They are also asking people to review CCTV or smart doorbell footage and to contact the police if they have any information.
Speaking to Times of Malta, the police confirmed that the search is ongoing. Information may be passed on to the police, anonymously if necessary, on 2122 4001 or 119.