Stephen Michael B: Search for missing Brit who vanished in Spanish mountains extended to rugged terrain

The search for a British man who vanished in the Spanish mountains last week has been extended to a rugged forest area.

Identified by authorities as Steven Michael B, the 48-year-old British citizen vanished last Thursday near the mountainous Spanish town of Las Salas in the León municipality.

Helicopter and dog units were deployed last week to assist the search, with the same specialist mountain rescue team that searched for Jay Slater being drafted into the operation.

On Friday, it was revealed that the search has been extended to a beech forest, described by authorities as a “very rugged and difficult to access area”, and drones are being used to search the nearby Elsa River.

According to local media, Steven left his wife in a garage following an argument and abandoned his belongings with his car.

Reports claim he had been on a mountaineering holiday with his wife.

“The search has been extended to a beech forest, a very rugged and difficult to access area, located between the towns of Las Salas-Riaño and Las Salas-Cistierna,” a civil guard statement read.

“This search on foot is complicated and slow due to the orography of the terrain, and will be carried out by the Civil Guard and environmental agents in the area.

“Drones are being used to search the Esla River, as well as all-terrain motorcycles from the Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA) of the Civil Guard for roads and animal routes.”

Spain’s national missing persons centre issued a notice calling for anyone with information on Steven’s whereabouts to come forward.

It describes him as 1.6m tall and weighing around 65kg.

He was last seen wearing orange hiking trousers, a red T-shirt and dark blue-black hiking shoes.

His disappearance came weeks after Jay Slater vanished in mountainous terrain on the Spanish island of Tenerife.

Mountain rescue teams from the Civil Guard’s Greim unit assisted in the search for the 19-year-old and have now been sent to help assist the search for Steven.

A month after his disappearance, the Lancashire teen Jay Slater’s body was found in a hard-to-reach area of Tenerife’s Rural de Teno Park.