The disappearance case of the fire station chief of Poroia in Serres takes a new turn. Yesterday, Friday, a car was found on Mount Belles that was initially attributed to the 45-year-old firefighter. However, according to recent information from ERT, the vehicle is not the one he left home with on the morning of Tuesday, December 23, and has been missing since.
The chief of the Poroia Fire Station, father of two children, remains missing. The discovered car appears to have been abandoned in the mountains for quite some time and is likely related to a case of migrant smuggling.
The car, which has the same characteristics and color as the vehicle belonging to 45-year-old Konstantinos Gkinis, was found by Bulgarian hunters on the Belles ridge, at the Papadopoula outpost, at an altitude of 1,600 meters, near Istimpei. The vehicle was immobilized in the snow.
A few kilometers away, a car part had been found earlier yesterday (26/12) that matched the model of the 45-year-old’s vehicle.
It should be noted that the search operation involves EMAK teams and a trained dog, firefighters, volunteer firefighters, police officers, OFKATH volunteers (with 10 volunteers from the mountaineering section, 2 drone operators and 4×4 vehicles), EPOMEA Sintikis, Sintiki Municipality Civil Protection, and the Rodopoli Hunting Association.
Where the search focuses for the fire chief in Serres – Timeline of the disappearance
The 45-year-old left the house where he lives with his wife and two children, without taking his mobile phone, wallet or bank cards with him. He only took his car, leaving behind every means of communication. According to his relatives, he had not expressed any concern nor given the slightest indication that something serious was troubling him. “We don’t know anything. He didn’t say anything to anyone,” states his sister’s husband. “Since 9:30 in the morning when he went missing, we have no sign of life. He took neither mobile phone nor money,” they report among other things. And it is true that nothing had been heard about the 45-year-old in recent months and he was living peacefully with his family members, while he was in a calm state after the difficult fire season that ended a few weeks ago.
When more than 24 hours passed without him returning home and without appearing at his service, his wife reported the disappearance to the Poroia Police Station. A Silver Alert was immediately activated, aimed at raising public awareness and collecting information that could prove crucial. All rescue teams have been involved in the effort to locate the 45-year-old father of two. The operation includes: Firefighters from the Serres Fire Service and all Fire Stations in the area, special EMAK teams with a trained dog, Greek Police forces, Sintiki Municipality Civil Protection, volunteer teams EPOMEA Sintikis and Thessaloniki, OFKATH team with mountaineering section, drone operators and 4×4 vehicles, volunteers from the Serres Prefecture 4×4 Club, the Rodopoli Hunting Association and residents of the wider area.
“Since early morning we have been in the field with two drones and 4×4 vehicles, to help the state authorities,” OFKATH president Christos Ramos mentioned in his post. As everything shows, however, the opponent of the rescuers and all the volunteers searching for the 45-year-old is not only time, but also the weather, which is deteriorating as we approach the heart of winter.
The searches were significantly hampered by bad weather conditions, which did not allow clear aerial shots. However, the drones returned to the sky again yesterday, hoping that today they will provide crucial evidence. Particular emphasis is placed on locating the 45-year-old’s car, as it is estimated that it will be the “key” to solving the case. A resident from Kato Poroia reportedly testified that he saw the firefighter passing through the area with his vehicle, information that has already come under the authorities’ scrutiny.
Colleagues and friends speak of a man devoted to service, experienced in the area’s topography – both as a firefighter and as a hiker. “He was always present, even when he was on leave,” they say, emphasizing that nothing foreshadowed this mysterious disappearance.
The agony of the family, colleagues and the entire local community is peaking hour by hour, as the thriller in Serres continues without answers. Everyone hopes that the next daylight will bring the first substantial clue.
