Mississauga man vanishes after planning a hike in Greece

Family and friends are seeking the public’s help in the search for a Mississauga man who disappeared in Greece over a month ago.

Filip Ziaja went missing on or after July 12 after telling family he was planning to hike Mount Olympus the weekend of July 13 and 14, his sister-in-law Erika Campos told INsauga.com.

“What we’re the most worried about is that maybe something happened to him, and he might be in a hospital and he can’t communicate, or that maybe something happened to him in the mountains,” Campos said.

At least 10 other tourists have disappeared in Greece this summer, according to news reports. Some have been found dead, apparently succumbing to heat-related illnesses as the country had multiple heat waves.

Campos said Ziaja, 38, is a software engineer and “digital nomad” who loves travel and hiking. He grew up in Mississauga and is based in the city.

Campos said he normally contacted his family about once a week when he travelled, but when he didn’t message or call on his nephew’s first birthday on July 20, his family became concerned.

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Then, on July 26, his company, Leap Tool, told the family he hadn’t logged in for two weeks.

“That’s what raised the alert completely because he would never, like maybe, he wouldn’t answer us because he was busy travelling and enjoying doing all of that, but he would never stop showing up for work,” Campos said.

Family asked the Greek police to do a wellness check at his Airbnb in Thessaloniki. Police found his suitcase and most of his belongings were still there. Campos said his phone and backpack were gone, likely because Ziaja took them with him.

The police in Greece haven’t told them much and don’t provide updates on the search, she said.

The family contacted Peel Regional Police, who told them Ziaja hadn’t accessed his Canadian bank accounts. Campos said Peel police have been following up every day but there is not much they can do.

A Peel Regional Police spokesperson told INsauga.com that nothing of criminality has come up in their investigation at this time.

“We have been working closely with authorities in Greece who are actively investigating his whereabouts and we will continue to support their investigation,” the spokesperson said in an email.

Global Affairs Canada confirmed they are aware of a Canadian who is missing in Greece. Consular officials are in touch with the family to provide assistance, Global Affairs told INsauga.com.

Campos said Global Affairs Canada has been helpful but they have no jurisdiction over the Greek police.

The family also hoped to get his photo and information on Interpol but the international police organization hasn’t responded, she said.

The family has done their own extensive search, contacting refuges or cafes on Mount Olympus, tourist shops and other places. They have sent photos and called but so far, no one has seen Ziaja.

“We’ve contacted as many people as we can, like everywhere,” Campos said.

Ziaja had planned to go to Poland after Greece, and an Airbnb in Poland contacted the family to say he hadn’t shown up.

At this time, family members don’t have plans to go to Greece as they don’t speak the language nor do they have any knowledge of the country. Members of the family are also dealing with serious health issues. Instead, they are trying to hire a private investigator for the search. Ziaja’s company is providing $5,000 to help in the investigation and the family hopes to use that money in the best way possible.

The last message the company received from Ziaja indicated that he was going hiking on Mount Olympus and planned to take a photo with a teddy bear for his nephew, Campos said. He planned to send the teddy bear and photo to his new nephew.

“He was like ‘he’s going have a teddy bear with a really cool story,'” Campos said. “That’s so heartbreaking. That really crushed our soul. The birthday came and we didn’t hear from him.”

Campos described Ziaja as a sweet, kind man who loves people and animals. He donated to charities whenever he could and supported his family and friends.

“We can’t imagine somebody doing something to him because he’s such a good guy, he’s just honestly good person and we just don’t know what happened,” she said. “We really love him very much and we just want him back.”

She asked that if anyone can help or has contacts in Greece that could help, to email the family at [email protected] or visit the Facebook page Bring Filip Ziaja Home.