Unpublished photos from the camera of two tourists who disappeared eight years ago in the jungle are revealed.
The first week of April 2014, two young Dutch women, Lisanne Froon, 22, and Kris Kremers, 21, embarked on an enthusiastic journey from the Netherlands to the lush tropical paradise of Panama. The intention was to do social work while learning Spanish, however, something went terribly wrong during their adventure. They were never heard from again. Join us as we uncover the details of this puzzling story.
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.