ROBERT Maxwell, the flamboyant head of one of the world╒s biggest media empires, was discovered dead in the sea yesterday after disappearing from his yacht off the Canary Islands.
As London business analysts were predicting the break-up of his business empire under the pressure of ú3 billion debts, his widow Elizabeth and their son Philip flew to Gran Canaria and identified his body at the Gando air base. They later flew to Tenerife, where the inquiry into the death will be held.
The body of the Daily Mirror publisher was winched from the Atlantic by a Spanish helicopter 20 miles south-west of Gran Canaria. Spanish national radio said he was unclothed and showed no sign of violence.
At a hastily improvised midnight press conference at Reina Sofia airport in the south of Tenerife, the island╒s Civil Governor, Angel Delgado, said Mr Maxwell╒s motor yacht, the Lady Ghislaine, left Santa Cruz in the north of the island at 10pm on Monday and put into Puerto de los Cristianos at 9am yesterday.
But, he said, Mr Maxwell╒s body was found by a fishing boat floating 19 to 20 miles from Gando on the other side of the neighbouring island of Gran Canaria ╤ more than 100 miles from the obvious route between the points of departure and arrival. Asked to explain how the body could have got there, Mr Delgado replied: ╘That╒s a good question.╙
