The family of 21-year-old Johan is devastated after the tragic end to the search for him in the Samaria Gorge. The operation to recover the body of the young man is currently underway.
According to information from Flashnews.gr in Chania has come from Heraklion hiking department of the 3rd EMAK and is trying from early this morning to approach the point where the body is located. At the same time a request has been made for the use of a helicopter during the operation however there is still nothing definitive in this regard.

The touching post of the family of the 21-year-old German tourist

Meanwhile, the family of the 21-year-old all the time that his traces were lost did not stop looking for him, they traveled to Crete to be “close” to the searches while they hoped until the last moment that Johann will be found alive.

However, on Friday morning the worst-case scenario for the 21-year-old’s disappearance was confirmed and Johan was found dead in a fairly difficult spot by a group of volunteer climbers who were searching for him.

The family of the unfortunate Johan after the latest tragic developments made a touching post saying “goodbye” to the 21-year-old while they also thanked those who helped and supported them during the search. In their post, the family said, among other things, that all indications are that the 21-year-old succumbed to cold and exhaustion.

The family’s post

“Our little brother Johan had a tragic accident in the White Mountains of Crete on February 13, 2025. A group of six local mountaineering volunteers started looking for him on March 13, 2025 with us. They spent the night in a mountain shelter and found Johann this morning, 14 March, sadly dead. An autopsy is pending, but all indications are that he died of cold and exhaustion. He managed to make it through all the difficult parts of the trail successfully, but in the end, he collapsed on the trail. We loved Johan dearly, he was important to us and our pain is unbearable. He leaves a huge void for his family, friends, colleagues and everyone who knew him. We will hold him in our hearts for the rest of our lives and will miss him terribly. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who participated in the search. It means so much to us that so many volunteers helped us. Without you, it would not have been possible to find Johan. A special thank you to the climbers who found him this morning! We also want to thank everyone who has supported us during this time – for your kind messages, for all the advice and information you have shared, and for keeping Johan in your thoughts.”