Before the trip to Panama
Lisanne Froon and Kris Kremers became inseparable friends largely because of their common interests. Both worked in a coffee shop in the Netherlands, their homeland, and even moved in together to save money. The intention was to raise money to do social work around the world so they began contacting various associations and, it was in Panama where they received a satisfactory response after six months of preparation.
The first stop was in Bocas del Toro, where they were impressed by the atmosphere. They were ready to start volunteering.
A fatal misunderstanding
After 2 weeks in Bocas del Toro, they moved to Boquete where their real social work with the children would begin. However, upon arrival they were told that their work would have to wait another week. There was a mix-up with the calendars, so they were invited to enjoy the extra time.
The girls didn’t think twice, they decided to take the opportunity to go hiking on the famous El Pianista trail. They took Azul, the dorm dog and a few basic belongings, but their destination was uncertain.
Kris’ reaction to the change in schedule
According to journalists Jeremy Kryt and Mariana Atencio, Kris kept a diary in which he wrote his impressions about the change of plans. There he unloaded his discontent about the lack of communication in addition to the attitude of the association whose spokesperson he described as “rude and unfriendly.”
He also added “tomorrow they will try to communicate with the [director]…. This was a real disappointment.” With this change of plans all that was left was to make the most of the trip, so, despite the discontent, it was decided, they would go to Chiriqui.
Venturing into the Panamanian jungle
The El Pianista trail is one of the most popular trails in Boquete, Chiriqui Province. It is about 5 kilometers long and winds its way through the Panamanian jungle. The views are breathtaking, so it attracts thousands of visitors. However, the route lacks good signage. There have been several reported cases of people getting lost, such as Lisanne and Kris.
On that day, April 1, 2014, they did not return with their hosts. They assumed they had stayed with some other adventure partner.
Blue returns home alone
A clue announces that something is out of place. Blue, the hosts’ dog returned home alone.
The host family began to worry, that didn’t make sense, regardless of whether the girls had decided to extend their adventure in the jungle, they would not send Azul alone. The day ended with the hope that they would show up in the evening or in the morning. However, time passed and the hosts contacted Lisanne’s mother in the Netherlands to let her know the situation.
Fear for missing tourists grows
The host family decides to report the disappearance to state agencies. On April 2, a woman reported that she had seen the young women out to lunch with a couple of boys, however, details were conspicuous by their absence.
Local authorities’ protocol establishes a 96-hour window before initiating a search. Time elapsed and Panamanian authorities undertook a search for the young women. But among the dwarf cedar, oak and wild avocado species, no sightings of Lisanne or Kris were seen.
Tension mounts day by day
Despite search efforts, including helicopters flying overhead and teams scouring the forest, the girls’ whereabouts remained a mystery. They left in an unknown direction. They had an agenda because they had booked some other excursions such as a trip to the Finca las Princesas and the Baru Volcano, but only they knew their complete itineraries.
Time continued to pass and different theories emerged about their disappearance. A local innkeeper recognized the girls on posters.
The early challenges
The remote location and inhospitable nature of the Panamanian jungle pose significant challenges for search and rescue teams.
The rugged terrain, dense forested areas and tropical climate complicate the tracking efforts. In addition, the event took place a few weeks into the rainy season, so rising rivers make it difficult to process and preserve possible clues or evidence. These geographic and climatic challenges add complexity to the investigation and prolong the uncertainty of how to speed up the response process?
A reward is being offered
An innkeeper reported that the girls had asked him for some directions and he had suggested they return to town by cab, although he did not know what decision they had made. On April 6 the family panics.
So they decided to move to Panama, but not before offering a $30,000 reward. The networks were abuzz with theories and the press reports only alarmed Kris’ parents Roselie and Hans Kremers that much more. What was the press saying?