Airam Concepción Afonso, 20 years old and with autism spectrum disorder, disappeared on February 16, 2026, during Los Indianos. His mother warns of a possible sighting in May, but the official investigation does not confirm it.
The young man from El Paso, Airam Concepción Afonso, remains missing in La Palma almost five months after losing track of him during the Los Indianos festival. The search has yielded several material findings in Los Cancajos and numerous testimonies about possible sightings, but no lead has allowed for his location so far.
Airam, who was 20 years old when he disappeared, was last seen on February 16, 2026. He has autism spectrum disorder and high abilities, a circumstance that has led his family to suggest that he may have suffered a breakdown and sought refuge away from the crowds. This explanation is a hypothesis from his relatives, not an official conclusion from the investigation.
The day of the disappearance
The disappearance began during the celebration of Los Indianos, one of the busiest days of the Carnival of Santa Cruz de La Palma. Initial reports placed Airam on a bus heading to the capital of La Palma. Cameras captured him at 16:36 getting off at the roundabout entrance to Santa Cruz de La Palma. He then walked towards Calle Real, dressed in a long-sleeved black garment and carrying a black backpack.
Mercedes Afonso, Airam's mother, explained that she spoke to her son by phone around 18:00. According to her account, Airam told her he did not know where he was before the communication was interrupted. The last mobile signal was later detected in Los Cancajos, in Breña Baja, near the airport. Initial checks found no records of Airam leaving through the port or the airport. There were also no subsequent movements on his bank card or transport pass, a circumstance that reinforced the possibility that he remained in La Palma.
The material findings in Los Cancajos
The first significant material finding occurred six days after the disappearance. A neighbour found Airam's black backpack near the coast, in the Lago Azul area of Los Cancajos. The appearance of the backpack shifted much of the operation to the coastal strip near the airport. The search employed drones, boats, canine units, and ground teams. ENAIRE also authorised drone flights in an area conditioned by the proximity of airport facilities.
On February 26, the Civil Guard confirmed the discovery of a pair of jeans in the sea that belonged to Airam or matched the garment he was wearing when he disappeared. It was located in the same general area where the backpack and the last phone signal had appeared. These clues led to an intensification of maritime searches. However, the discovery of the clothing did not allow for determining what happened or confirming that Airam had fallen into the water. The strength of the currents and the complexity of the seabed in that part of La Palma added difficulties to the inspections.
The difficulties in maritime search
Bad maritime conditions forced the Special Underwater Activities Group of the Civil Guard to suspend or reduce dives on several occasions. The GEAS resumed inspections along the coast of Villa de Mazo on April 21, especially around the beach of El Pósito. The agents incorporated underwater scooters to cover a larger area and check cavities and rocky zones. The official search lost intensity over the weeks, although the investigation remained open. The main material elements continued to be the backpack, the jeans, and the last phone location in the Los Cancajos area.
In the days following the disappearance, alerts placed Airam in different parts of the Island. Some witnesses claimed to have seen him on a bus between Santa Cruz de La Palma and San José, while another account placed him in San Pedro or La Pavona. The free transport during Los Indianos made it impossible to verify those movements through passenger records. Searches were expanded to Montaña de la Breña, Velhoco, San José, San Antonio, and other locations, but did not yield conclusive results.
Marks and writings found in El Paso were also investigated, which the family considered compatible with Airam's handwriting. These clues led to the organisation of searches near his home and in places that might be familiar to him. Their relevance to the case was not officially confirmed.
The latest sightings and the family's role
The latest updates shared by his mother, Mercedes Afonso, point to a possible sighting on May 13. According to her account, a childhood acquaintance claimed to have recognised him by his physical features and a distinctive tattoo. The family also maintains that they received other alerts about his possible presence on the Island until June 1. None of these testimonies have been publicly confirmed by the authorities. The family has made a call for public collaboration for any leads that could help locate him. Meanwhile, the investigation remains open, and hope persists that Airam will appear safe and sound.
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