On Saturday, nearly 100 volunteers and rescuers gathered on Long Island to continue searching for a political candidate who vanished last month under mysterious circumstances.
The volunteers teamed up in pairs, starting their search at 7 AM in Long Beach, where 29-year-old Petros Clomidas was last seen on April 23 during a training swim.
Shortly after his disappearance, authorities located a locked car belonging to Clomidas at the Alegria Hotel, close to the beach he frequented for triathlon training, according to family members.
Clomidas, a Democrat running for a position on the Nassau County Council Committee, reportedly took a towel with him on that day.
Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman informed reporters at the beach parking lot on Saturday that volunteers were distributing flyers and covering areas between Atlantic Beach, Lido Beach, and Point Lookout.
The search efforts included members using ATVs, drones, helicopters, and marine department boats, as Blakeman had mobilized Nassau’s community emergency response teams earlier in the week.
“Every effort will be made,” he stated, emphasizing the importance of the search.
Clomidas’ parents, present during the ongoing efforts on Saturday, refrained from speaking publicly but called for “major efforts” from local leaders.
Blakeman noted their growing concern, indicating that they feared people might forget over time or, in the event of a tragedy, that someone might miss the body.
“Our goal is to locate the bodies if this tragically ended with death,” he elaborated.
Leaders of the search advised volunteers to stay hydrated and apply sunscreen as they worked under the sunny sky.
Blakeman cautioned, “Don’t underestimate the value of talking to people walking along the beach.”
Another volunteer expressed commitment to continue the search as long as possible.
Individuals with any information regarding Clomidas’ disappearance are encouraged to contact the Nassau County Police Missing Persons Squad at 516-573-7717.
