Growing fears for Dutch man gone missing on Saba; New search team arrives on island

Dutch authorities and local teams on Saba have shifted from a rescue to a recovery operation for 53-year-old Erik Matthijsen, a missing experienced hiker and senior paramedic, after more than 82 hours since he was last seen. A Dutch Urban Search and Rescue (USAR.NL) team of 11 people and nine search dogs is expected to arrive Sunday afternoon local time to support the ongoing effort.

Matthijsen, who works as an ambulance nurse for RAV Zuid-Holland Zuid and has been a senior paramedic with USAR.NL for years, was last seen at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, May 13, in the Well’s Bay area on the northwest side of the island. He was wearing a grey T-shirt, black shorts and carrying a black backpack while heading out for a hike.

Island Governor Jonathan Johnson said in a video message posted Saturday evening local time that, based on the timeline and medical advice, the search has changed from rescue to recovery. “This means that it is unlikely that the missing person will be found alive,” Johnson stated.

Intensive searches over Thursday, Friday and Saturday — including ground teams on and off trails, two helicopters, drones with thermal imaging, Coast Guard vessels, the DASH patrol airplane, and Marines — yielded no results. Two search dogs from the French Fire Department on Saint Martin arrived Saturday and joined the operation.

The USAR.NL team departed Sunday morning with nine dog handlers and their dogs, a senior paramedic and a senior logistician. They are supplementing the French dogs already on the island. The group was expected to reach Saba Sunday afternoon local time, authorities said.

USAR.NL described the deployment as particularly emotional. “The unreal thing about this deployment is that Erik has been a senior paramedic with our team for years,” the organization said. “That makes it a charged deployment for us as USAR.NL, both for the deployed team members and the many team members who are following this closely and with concern from a distance.”

Since Matthijsen’s disappearance was reported, USAR.NL has stayed in close contact with his employer, RAV Zuid-Holland Zuid, and through them with his family. “We can do nothing other than hope that an end comes to this uncertainty,” the group added. RAV Zuid-Holland Zuid said Sunday it continues to hope for a miracle.

Local authorities have asked residents to review any camera footage from Wednesday, May 13, between 11 a.m. and midnight in the Well’s Bay area and The Bottom. Anyone who may have given him a ride that day is urged to contact 911 immediately.

Search efforts have concentrated on the Middle Island Trail and surrounding rugged terrain, including possible off-trail routes and viewpoints. The public was previously asked to stay off trails such as Ladder Bay, Middle Island, North Coast and All Too Far to avoid interfering with operations. The Ladder Bay trail has since been cleared and reopened.

Partners involved include the Saba Conservation Foundation, whose rangers guided hikes on possible routes; HANAB contractors for the Mount Scenery Tower Project, who provided a helicopter already on the island; the Coast Guard; Marines; KPCN; BKCN; the Ministry of Defense; the National Crisis Center; and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, along with many volunteers.

Saba, the smallest of the six Caribbean islands in the Kingdom of the Netherlands at 13 square kilometers, is known for its steep trails and Mount Scenery, the highest peak in the kingdom at 870 meters. Matthijsen was working on the Mount Scenery Tower Project and was well-known locally as an active outdoorsman.