Update 2 | Body found at foot of Dingli cliffs is of missing German teenager

Relatives have confirmed that the corpse found earlier this morning at Dingli Cliffs, is that of the missing German teenager Mike Mansholt.

A body and a bicycle were found in the limits of Dingli following a search operation by local police and volunteers.

The body was found ten storeys below street level and in a state of decomposition and the bicycle was found a few metres further up.

The discovery was made minutes after the family gave a press conference to appeal for more help in private searches to find Mike.

Mike's father was taken to the site shortly after the discovery.

The Mansholt family also issued a statement to thank the police and to everyone who participated in the searches, to those who shared social media posts and to those who gave their support in the last few days.

Family of missing teenager appeals for public to assist in private searches

“We are devastated Mike has been taken from us too soon. Mike was our beloved brother, son, boyfriend. He was a big personality with big plans for life. His adventurous spirit will live on in our hearts," they said.

“We take some comfort from the fact he died doing something he loved as he explored this beautiful island."

They went on to point out that the people of Malta have been generous with their time and their compassion.

"We are overwhelmed by the support we have received and the fact so many people wanted to get behind our search for Mike. From the bottom of our hearts we thank you. We will never forget the love and kindness we have received.”

Mike, who was reported missing last week, was described as an experienced traveller, has been missing since 18th July, and he had travelled to Malta on holiday on the 8th July 2016 with the express aim to visit a number of sites and enjoy extensive outdoor activities. Mike failed to catch his flight back home to Germany on the 22nd July, but he was last seen online on the 18th July at 10.11am.

Speaking at a press conference earlier today, Mike’s brother Daniel Mansholt


 said that Mike was a keen sportsman who never backed away from a challenge.

“It is not unusual for him to go for days without contacting his family,” he said, adding that he was convinced his brother was injured somewhere in Malta.

"The police and my family are not enough people to search the whole island," Mansholt said, visibly moved.

"We cannot leave any stones unturned," he said, making an impassioned plea for further assistance.

It is thought that Mike was mountain biking around Rabat and the Dingli area on the day he disappeared. An eye witness account saw someone fitting Mike’s description at approximately 11.30am, close to Dingli Cliffs.

The family are urging members of the public that might know anything about Mike’s whereabouts or may have seen Mike or the black and blue Lombardo 270 mountain bike Mike was riding, to come forward with information or to help with the search.

Lisa Rohlfs, who is assisting the family in the search, explained that the bicycle, which was meant to be returned on Thursday 21st July, had become an essential part of the investigation, as it might indicate where and whether Mike was in any difficulty.

"I am convinced that the Maltese public will help us in this search, and there are already around 25 people assisting in private searches being headed by Andrew Warrington," she said.

The police search has so far concentrated on Mellieha and the area between Dingli and Zurrieq, including a land and sea search of the Dingli Cliffs area. It will be expanded to include the area between Golden Bay and Dingli Cliffs and the surrounding area.

Warrington explained that following a full sweep of the area, the focus now needed to shift to a more detailed search of individual areas in the vicinity.

"We need to go into detail because of Mike's adventurous personality and interests; he is a climber and he also wanted to do a steep climb," he said, adding that the ideal scenario would be to have groups of five to ten people to comb through particular areas around the island.

He went on to appeal to more people to come forward but he stressed that individuals should not take it upon themselves to search the areas on their own, as it could make the situation worse. He also encouraged those who were not fit enough to help the search physically, to keep their eyes open and raise awareness by sharing posters and news stories about Mike.