2 women went on the most magical trip of their lives — it did not end well

Imagine a dream trip to exotic Panama, full of adventures and unforgettable views. Two young students from the Netherlands planned this trip - Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon.

Unfortunately, they disappeared without a trace during one of the hiking trips in the Panamanian jungle. After two months of searching, their remains were found, but what happened in the jungle remains a mystery to this day.

The girls had been planning the trip for weeks. They not only planned to discover the charms of Panama but also wanted to improve their Spanish while volunteering with children in the charming town of Boquete. They decided to use their free time between work and learning Spanish to visit nearby attractions, including the "El Pianista" route.

Taking advantage of their last free days, they decided to explore the jungles. Their target was the Mirador Peak. The girls wanted to complete the "El Pianista" trail, with a total length of 8 km, on April 2, 2014, together with a local guide. The trail started about 2 km from the place where they spent the night, and it should take about 5 hours to complete it. However, it is not known why the girls set off on the trail alone, a day earlier than planned.

The guide they were supposed to meet the next day found neither them nor any sign that they had followed this route. The alarm was raised and the search began only the next day. Assuming it was impossible to reach the trail on foot, police were initially surprised to find two hikers on the trail. However, after talking to residents, it was revealed that the taxi driver was responsible for getting them there.

Moreover, there were also two other men in the vehicle. After reaching the place, the tourists set off into the jungle on their own. However, they were unprepared for such an expedition - they did not have a map, flashlight or compass, the tools necessary to safely explore such an unknown space.

Six days after the disappearance, Kris and Lisanne's families arrived in Panama, along with Dutch detectives and tracking dogs, to help with the search. They searched the jungle day and night, shouting through megaphones and lighting the area, but unfortunately to no avail.

The first clue appeared only after two months of intensive searching. The backpack of one of the women, containing money, passport, sunglasses, camera and two mobile phones, was found on the river bank.

An analysis of the phones showed that the girls tried to call the emergency number many times, but to no avail due to a lack of reception. According to some reports, the girls tried to call for help as many as 77 times. They made the first call on April 1 around 4:30 pm and the last on April 11. Due to lack of coverage, they managed to connect only once, unfortunately, the connection lasted only a few seconds and then the phone died.

The camera, which was also in the backpack, contained a series of 90 photos that were taken on April 8. The photos are mostly black, a few are random shots. It is not clear what the purpose of these photographs was, but the police believe that the girls used the flash to illuminate their way at night or wanted to attract the attention of emergency services.

After this discovery, searchers immediately combed the jungle. Unfortunately, subsequent discoveries confirmed the worst fears. A shoe with a human foot and a pelvic bone was discovered near where the backpack was found. DNA tests confirmed that the remains belonged to the missing girls.

Everything indicates that Kris and Lisanne strayed from the planned route and their death was the result of an unfortunate accident. It is possible that the girls became ill after drinking contaminated river water, were attacked by a wild animal or fell from a rock embankment. There are many theories.

However, one secret remains controversial. Lisanne's remains appeared to have been naturally decomposed, but Kris' bones appeared to have been bleached, suggesting human interference. The guide the girls were scheduled to meet on April 2 was suspected for some time, but a lack of evidence quickly cleared him.

Dutch writers Marja West and Jürgen Snoeren believe that the girls died as a result of an accident. In their book Lost in the Jungle, they comb through the mysterious case, trying to debunk conspiracy theories surrounding the tragedy. However, the couple admitted that there are still "a lot of unknowns."

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This story was originally published by Onet Travel