The body of a dead British woman found floating near the Puerto de la Cruz lighthouse, on the neighbouring island of Tenerife, is thought almost certainly to be that of Amy Louise Gerard, an orca trainer employed by Loro Parque who lived in the locality. The Spanish National Police Specialised Violent Crime Unit (Unidad de Delincuencia Especializada y Violenta, UDEV) have opened an investigation trying to reconstruct the final hours of the 28 year old who was last seen alive on Friday 30 November.
According to British tabloid The Sun, quoting a source close to the investigation, the body was found in a bad condition, and it is still “too early” to determine how the death occurred and if it was accidental or not, although the girl’s body, which was found floating in the water by a Guardia Civil helicopter and was recovered by one of the boats participating in the search operation, is reported to have appeared to have bruises, though it has not been ruled out that she could have died in a tragic accident and that these marks were from having struck the rocks.
The last images of the young woman, originally from Cleethorpes in the UK, were from a video recorded last Thursday, partying with several friends in an Irish bar in Puerto de la Cruz, Molly Malone’s. Another woman, in the UK, claims to have also seen her in a video on the social network Snapchat, during the early hours of Friday morning, a claim which is being analysed by the agents investigating.
Amy, who divorced her husband a year ago, has been, reportedly, in a relationship with a man named as Dennis Kiessling (pictured left), who is said to also be a zoo worker, and with whom she is said to have left The Molly Malone in the early hours of Friday morning, last. Video has emerged of her enjoying the night with Dennis, singing and dancing to The Pogues at the bar.
There have not yet been any confirmations as to whether Dennis has any connection to the Kiessling family who own the Grupo Loro Parque company, Tenerife’s largest employer, who operate the park where Amy worked as well as the Siam Park tourist attractions.
Brendan Reid, owner of the Molly Malone pub, told the tabloids that the girl arrived about 11 pm on Thursday night and, although “everyone had a good time singing and dancing,” does not think they were drunk.
According to the Tenerife daily Diario de Avisos, the couple reportedly argued at the bar, although the owner of the bar says that while the group of friends “went two by two and she and Dennis were the last to leave. She turned right and Dennis went left.”
The inquiries, according to the Tenerife newspaper, focus now on finding out where the girl went after leaving the bar, if she went alone or was attacked by someone, in addition to the heated discussion with her boyfriend and they are said to also be looking at whether her divorce had been amicable or not.
How very tragic.