Santa Cruz: Missing Brit, 70, from Manchester found dead in Tenerife after discharged from hospital

Gary Ferns, 70, reportedly vanished after being taken to the island’s El Mojon Hospital and being discharged the following day. It sparked a desperate search by his family and friends.

Fears had been growing for the wellbeing of the pensioner, who lived in Tenerife but was originally from Manchester. It was said around the time his disappearance was made public that he had last been seen near Playa Las Vistas in Los Cristianos in the south of the holiday island.

Overnight his sister confirmed a body found in a hospital in the island capital Santa Cruz, understood to be another hospital to the facility Gary was reportedly discharged from shortly before his death, had been confirmed as his. She went on to explain the delay in identifying his body had been down to the fact he had no ID on him and DNA testing had been necessary to make the positive match.

She said in a Facebook post: “It is with deep sorrow and sadness that I announce the passing of my brother Gary. This has been a very bad time for all our family and of course Gary’s dear friends in the UK and Tenerife.

“It has been four months since he went missing and in February I flew to Tenerife and gave a DNA sample for testing as a body had been found, not on the streets as was first thought but in the hospital in Candelaria. Unfortunately Gary did not have any ID so that was why he was not located sooner.

“Having said that I gave the DNA on the 10th of February and I had the confirmation only this morning that the DNA was a match. We were unable to tell anyone before because we just did not know for sure so that’s why there have been no posts recently. R.I.P Bro I will miss you.”