The South Argentine coast holds more secrets than what we can fathom, and one of them had been the disappearance of Diego Barría. After the 32-year-old father went missing on February 18th near the coastline of Chubut province, his family launched an intense search.
After two days of leading rescue operations, his ATV was discovered on the beach near Rocas Coloradas. But consequences marked a heartbreaking end for the search when two fishermen came to the coastguard to report a school shark – with Diego’s remains inside – that they had caught nearby.
Daniela Millatruz, the law enforcement officer in charge of the search, said that the family recognized him by a tattoo on the body and confirmed their worst fear.
School shark, also known as a tope shark, is a species of sharks that live in British waters and can measure up to 6 feet long. They typically feed on small bony fish and invertebrates, hence considered quite harmless to humans, though one unprovoked attack on a human has been reported.
As the officials continued to investigate the possible cause of the tragedy, a strong tidal surge during the weekend when he went missing seemed to be the most probable explanation.
Virginia Brugger, suspected to be Barría’s partner, was actively updating the search on social media since he disappeared, when she expressed her anguish on how the kids were asking for their father. As the search came to an end, she expressed her love for him on her post, “My heart went with you! I love you forever.”