A major search operation off the south coast of Gran Canaria has ended with relief after rescuers located 23-year-old Layonel Ramírez Collado alive on Wednesday morning, more than a day and a half after he was reported missing at sea.
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Ramírez disappeared late on Monday night while attempting to recover his jet ski, which had come loose from a boat near Castillo del Romeral, in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. Friends reported that he entered the water to secure the drifting craft and was last seen trying to ride it towards shore. When he failed to reach the agreed meeting point, emergency services were alerted around 23:00.
From that moment, a wide-ranging search began, involving Maritime Rescue (Salvamento Marítimo), the Canary Islands’ Emergency and Rescue Group (GES), the Guardia Civil, and local police. The operation included patrol boats, helicopters, and shoreline teams. Strong winds in the area complicated conditions, and although crews worked through Tuesday, family members criticised the lack of night-time operations and urged authorities to expand the search further out to sea.
By Wednesday morning, the pressure on rescue services had grown, with relatives insisting that wind and currents could have carried him well beyond the nearshore areas initially covered. Social media campaigns spread his image widely, while friends and fellow sportsmen from the world of lucha canaria, where Ramírez had previously competed, joined public appeals for more resources.
At around 11:30 on Wednesday, the search finally succeeded. The Maritime Rescue aircraft Sasemar 103 spotted Ramírez roughly 15–16 nautical miles (about 30 kilometres) southwest of Gran Canaria. He was clinging to the overturned hull of his jet ski and signalling for help.
Once located, the rescue coordination centre in Las Palmas mobilised the Helimer 215 helicopter and the Guardamar Urania rescue vessel. By 12:38, the crew of the Urania had brought him aboard. Although suffering pain in his chest and side from spending long hours lying across the craft, Ramírez was described as conscious and in generally good condition. He was transferred to the port of Arguineguín, arriving at around 13:20, where an ambulance took him to hospital for medical evaluation.
The case has drawn widespread attention across the Canary Islands, not only for the dramatic nature of his survival but also because of family concerns about how the search was handled. Relatives complained that at least part of the first night passed without active deployments, and that resources were too concentrated close to the coastline. They also said they were told that three helicopters were involved when they only observed two in operation. Friends who wanted to assist by going to sea were reportedly prevented from joining the official search due to safety protocols.
Despite those frustrations, the outcome brought enormous relief. Ramírez’s mother, who had insisted throughout that her son might still be alive and drifting on his jet ski, declared: “I said it — my son was holding on to the moto, and the moto saved him.”
Details from friends who were with him on Monday night indicate that the incident began when the watercraft became detached from their boat. Ramírez swam to it, managed to restart the engine after a brief failure, and attempted to reach Castillo del Romeral alone. Somewhere along the way the jet ski appears to have broken down again, leaving him adrift until spotted by air crews nearly two days later.
The rescue underscores the dangers of sudden accidents at sea around the Canary Islands, where winds, currents, and distances can rapidly turn a short trip into a survival situation. Authorities regularly advise that all small craft carry safety equipment, signalling devices, and maintain clear communication plans.
For Ramírez and his family, however, the story has ended with an improbable but very welcome reunion. As he recovers ashore, the relief in Arguineguín on Wednesday was evident, with relatives and supporters gathering to applaud his arrival.
