Body found in woodland near Lloret de Mar feared to be missing British tourist Josh Rogers

A body found in woodland near the Costa Brava resort of Lloret de Mar is being treated as potentially that of a missing British tourist who disappeared from a hotel over the weekend, police said on Tuesday. While investigators have not yet formally identified the dead man, local reports cited sources saying the fallen man is highly likely to be Josh Rogers, a holidaymaker from the West Midlands. Officials cautioned that a positive identification will come only after forensic tests are completed, and inquiries continued at the scene and around the town.

Rogers, a 27-year-old from Bloxwich near Walsall, vanished after traveling to Lloret de Mar for a holiday at the weekend. He had posted online in the days before his departure, including a photograph of a glass of Strongbow at Birmingham Airport with the caption “Get me on that plane,” followed by a second post that read “Get me away” alongside plane and beer emojis. In the weeks before the trip, he had written about packing toiletries and looking forward to the journey, saying, “Roll on next Friday. Get me on that plane.” He also posted a tribute to boxer Ricky Hatton after Hatton’s death, reflecting the mix of daily posts that accompanied his holiday planning. His phone was reportedly off, and his belongings remained in his hotel room in Lloret de Mar.

Relatives used English-language social media groups to appeal for information, describing Josh as missing and asking for shares of their posts. A relative who posted in a local Facebook group said Josh had not been seen or heard from in three days and noted that Spanish and British police were aware he was missing. The relatives’ appeals were removed and then re-posted at various times as the investigation unfolded.

The discovery of the body was reported around 7 p.m. on Tuesday by a passerby walking in woodland near a residential estate just outside Lloret de Mar’s town centre. Police, firefighters and emergency medical crews attended the scene. Authorities said there were no obvious signs of violence on the body, but they have yet to determine the cause of death or confirm the person’s identity. UK police were alerted to the discovery and notified Josh’s relatives as a precaution, while investigators continued to inspect the area and review surveillance footage and missing-person records.

The case comes amid a string of recent British disappearances in Spain. On a Saturday, Spanish police found the body of Andrew Wade, a 65-year-old man who had been missing on the Costa del Sol for several weeks; Wade’s disappearance had prompted an extensive search, including the use of drones. Investigators said Wade was last seen on Aug. 15 near Marbella. In a separate incident, 76-year-old Clifford Wildgoose vanished from a bar in Puerto Banus near Marbella; he was later recognized by an American tourist who had seen social media appeals and has since flown back to the UK after being treated in a Spanish hospital.

Spanish and British authorities are cooperating as they work to determine whether the Lloret de Mar case is connected to these earlier disappearances or represents a distinct event. Officials urged anyone with information to come forward, emphasizing that confirmation of identity will depend on forensic testing and that more details would be released as the investigation progresses.