The mother of missing Benjamin Ross has landed in Mallorca to begin a desperate search for her son, who has not been heard from since July 10.
The 26-year-old aspiring lawyer, from Golborne in Wigan, had travelled to the Spanish island for a dream holiday in June to visit a friend, before extending his stay and finding temporary accommodation.
He was staying in Palma, the capital of the popular holiday destination, but has not been heard from for almost two weeks after cutting ties with his heartbroken mother, Felix.
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After reporting him missing to Greater Manchester Police and the Foreign Office, Felix has since flown to Majorca to begin a “door-to-door” and “on-the-ground” search for his son, landing on the Spanish island on Saturday (July 20).
Felix, who was left “terrified” by her son’s sudden and “unusual” disappearance, is now due to meet with the British consulate to find out what efforts police are making to find him, her friend Carla Speight has confirmed.
A GoFundMe page has also been set up to help Felix pay for accommodation, flights and food while he is in Mallorca. Carla described the costs as “astronomical” given the peak summer holiday season.
She said: “Felix is going to spend all her money on finding her son, we know that with the astronomical costs she won’t be able to eat or drink properly. As a single mother I know I wouldn’t eat or drink and would instead spend that money on printing posters to hand out or putting petrol in a rental car.”
Local police in Mallorca have since confirmed they have been informed of Ben’s disappearance. In a statement, the Mallorca National Police said: “We are aware of this disappearance and are currently working to find this man. This is all we can say at this time.”
Felix was informed by his son that he planned to go see friends to take a break from the stress of completing the next steps of his legal internship.
Assuming it was a friend who lived nearby, Felix wished her luck and advised her to stay in touch. Weeks later, she learned that Ben, who loves to travel and had decided to extend his stay and find a temporary job, had had all his belongings stolen, including his wallet, phone and keys, while he was swimming at the beach.
He then cut off all contact with Felix, which worries her about his mental state. She has not been able to get in touch with Ben since July 10.
The grieving mother described the past week as “torture” and said she had “gone crazy with worry” in a previous interview with the Manchester Evening News.
The grieving mother reported Ben missing to Greater Manchester Police on July 13. Police are now helping the family submit a report to Interpol, so that the Foreign Office can begin investigating in conjunction with Spanish police.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police told the Manchester Evening News:”On Saturday 13th July 2024 we received a report that a 26 year old man from Wigan had travelled to Spain and had severed all contact with friends and family.
“We informed them that they should contact the British consulate who could help them in searching for their loved one abroad.
“Yesterday (Wednesday 17 July 2024) we assisted the family in submitting a report to Interpol to enable the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to act on their behalf in Spain.”
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man missing in Spain and are in contact with local authorities.”
