TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The family of a Mexican man who went missing while swimming off Green Island believes he is still alive and is offering a US$50,000 (NT$1.49 million) reward to anyone who finds him alive or helps ensure his safe return.
Diego Dorantes Sanchez, a 23-year-old Mexican national, disappeared on May 30 while swimming near Dabaisha Beach off Taitung’s Green Island, per UDN. Despite search efforts by police, firefighters, and the Coast Guard, no trace of him has yet been found.
At 1:48 p.m. on Friday, the Coast Guard received a report that a Hungarian woman, an Indian man, and a Mexican man were swimming near the shore at Dabaisha Beach. After the Hungarian and Indian nationals came ashore, Dorantes was nowhere to be found.
Since his disappearance, friends and family have flooded social media with photos and messages, urging authorities in Taiwan and Japan to assist in the search. On Monday morning, a Facebook user identifying herself as Rachel Leung, a high school classmate of Dorantes, posted a missing person notice in the group “Just Love Green Island.”
The post describes Dorantes as a physically strong and mentally resilient former scout with excellent survival skills, saying, “We firmly believe he is still alive.” They believe he may have been carried by ocean currents to Japan’s Yaeyama Islands, particularly Yonaguni or Ishigaki, or the surrounding waters.
According to the notice, Dorantes is 172 cm tall, with dark brown skin, brown eyes, and short, curly black hair. He has a cactus tattoo on his back and was last seen wearing black swim trunks and possibly a silver-colored Casio watch on his wrist.
Leung noted that few in Dorantes’ circle read Mandarin, and most of his friends are based in North America. She urged anyone with information to message her directly or contact the phone number or email listed in the missing person notice.
She also asked for help from anyone who can translate between English, Spanish, and Mandarin, noting that Dorantes’ family is en route to Taiwan.
Anyone with information on Dorantes' whereabouts is urged to email [email protected] or call +886-09-19-204-138.
