A missing British astrophysicist’s phone mysteriously ‘turned on’ more than 24 hours after she vanished while on holiday with her Cypriot boyfriend in Greece.
Dr Natalie Christopher, 34, who was born in London but now lives in Cyprus, didn’t return from her morning run on the Aegean island of Ikaria on Monday morning.
Local media report her phone’s signal began pinging yesterday, as hundreds of rescue crews scoured the rocky landscape.
Her 38-year-old boyfriend told local media Dr Christopher had gone out for a morning jog when he woke on Monday. He called her once and she picked up, but a few hours later he got no response and police were summoned.
Her sister Jena Christopher wrote on Facebook yesterday: ‘If you have her phone number please DO NOT call her. As this will drain the battery and the police are trying to use her phone to find her location.’
Greek papers reported today that police were investigating blood stains found on a bedroom pillow. Dr Christopher’s partner attributed these to a nose bleed she’d had the night before her disappearance, Skai reported.
Dr Natalie Christopher, 34, who was born in London but now lives in Cyprus, went missing on the Greek island of Ikaria while out jogging on Monday morning
The Greek island of Ikaria (pictured) is located 10 nautical miles south west of Samos and is named after the Greek legend of Icarus. Kerame beach (not pictured above) is where the focus of the manhunt is taking place with the mountainous areas being of interest to the police. Natalie Christopher had been running up a rocky hill when she last spoke to her partner
Dr Natalie Christopher, 34, is a keen runner and was out for a jog on the Aegean island of Ikaria on Monday morning
It is understood police had considered shutting down a phone mast on a neighbouring island as they sought a clear signal from the Oxford-educated physicist’s phone.
Fire crews, volunteers and even a naval helicopter with thermal imaging have been drafted in to help with the search.
Her boyfriend told Protothema News yesterday that she told him that she was jogging up a hill in a rocky part of the island, and promised that she would be careful.
‘I can’t go fast, I’ll be back slowly, don’t worry,’ he claims she told him.
But when she hadn’t returned by 11am he got worried and informed the hotel owner who then called the police.
The hotelier said the police had now sealed off the room and he was putting up Dr Christopher’s boyfriend in his own home.
‘He is a very good lad, he’s from Cyprus. He’s lost it, he has panicked, he cannot believe it,’ the man told Greek media.
He described Dr Christopher and her partner as ‘a nice little couple’ and said there had been no signs of strife between the pair.
The fitness fanatic’s phone gave out signals yesterday, 24 hours after she was first reported missing, according to local media
The astrophysicist works as a researcher with the European University Cyprus in Nicosia, she studied at Oxford (Linacre College) and graduated with a Masters in Physics from Durham University (University College) in 2007
Dr Christopher works as a researcher with the European University Cyprus in Nicosia.
She works to ‘develop our understanding on the evolution of galaxies, by fitting models to data collected from telescopes and satellites,’ according to an online profile.
Dr Christopher said she wanted to soon start formally teaching astronomy, visiting schools across Cyprus to inspire the next generation.
She also launched the Cyprus Girls Can campaign to get women and girls, of all ages and abilities across Cyprus more involved in sport, a campaign that was shortlisted for the EU Sport Award.
Her online profile says: ‘Asides from studying the beautiful Universe we live in, she loves running. In fact, she doesn’t think she could survive without running!
‘She started running thanks to her Sports Teacher at Secondary School in Nicosia when she was 12. It changed her life.
Her 38-year-old partner, who was on holiday with her, called police around 12.40pm to report her missing after she failed to return and he could not get through to her phone
‘Natalie has many wonderful memories of representing the track teams both at Durham University and the University of Oxford during her studies, in the 100m, 200m and 100m hurdles.
‘A highlight was representing Oxford in the Varsity matches against Cambridge.’
A Foreign Office spokesman said: ‘We are assisting the family of a British woman reported missing in Ikaria, and are in contact with the Greek authorities who are conducting the search for her.’
Last month an American scientist called Suzanne Eaton was raped and murdered in Crete, which a local man has confessed to.