An American tourist found dead on a tiny Greek island has been identified as a horse trainer from Long Island.
Toby Sheets, 55, was found dead Sunday on Mathraki, a 1.2-square mile island west of mainland Greece.
“They are not giving out any information until after the autopsy, so we just don’t know what happened,” his cousin Greg Sheets told BloodHorse. “I’ve been on the phone today with his dad, we live next door to one another. They are doing the autopsy today, then they are going to cremate him and put him on a plane back.”
Sheets worked for well-known trainer Steve Asmussen at Belmont Park. He was part of the team that trained 2016 Belmont Stakes winner Creator, Asmussen told Thoroughbred Daily News.
“Toby was a part of our stable for many years,” Asmussen said. “He will be deeply missed by his family and many friends.”
Sheets was last seen alive on June 11 and reported missing on June 13. He had traveled to Mathraki with a Greek-American friend. According to authorities, he was last seen in the company of two women who have since departed the island.
Only about 100 people live on Mathraki, which sits just west of the more popular island of Corfu. Sheets was reportedly found on a coastal area that had previously been searched, and officials suggested he may have been washed out to sea.
Several people visiting Greece have disappeared in recent weeks as a heat wave has scorched the country. Temperatures routinely topped 100 degrees in Athens during June.
British TV doctor Michael Mosley disappeared on the tiny island of Symi while out for a hike, and he was found dead on the island on June 9.
Additionally, a 74-year-old Dutch tourist was found dead face-down in a ravine on the island of Samos on June 15.
Another American, Albert Calibet, disappeared while hiking on the island of Amorgos. Calibet, a 59-year-old ex-cop, has not been seen since June 11.
Two French women, ages 64 and 73, remain missing as well, having last been seen on the island of Sikinos.
