The rising hopes of the family of Ivan Andersen, who had gradually come round to the idea that the missing 48-year-old Danish holidaymaker who had not been seen since July 10 was still alive, suffered a fatal blow yesterday afternoon, just hours after the Spanish authorities in Madrid had agreed to form a search party to be sent to Majorca. Early yesterday afternoon, a Palma magistrate confirmed that a body found at an abandoned house in Sa Rapita, near La Vileta on the outskirts of Palma, is that of the missing father of three. Initial forensic examinations indicate that Ivan Andersen, who was last seen on the night of July 10 when he walked out of Son Dureta hospital in a confused state of mind, had been dead for at least the past seven days. The news came as a serious blow to the family who at first was prepared for the worst. When the missing Dane's sister and brother-in-law, who had travelled to Majorca to hunt for Ivan, first contacted the Bulletin in a bid to involve the general public in the hunt, they said that a clairvoyant in Denmark had told the family that the man was dead and the body was lying somewhere in the woods and waste ground to the north of Son Dureta hospital. The sister admitted they were prepared for the worst and were looking for a body as opposed to her brother. But as they mounted their search, showing pictures to people in Plaza d'España and Arenal, more and more sightings were confirmed and a large number of people said they had seen Andersen sleeping rough on Arenal beach.
Body of missing Dane found north of Palma