A 60-year-old Turkish Cypriot man who went missing while picking mushrooms in the Cedar Valley area of Paphos on Thursday was found safe on Friday afternoon.

Police said the man was located in a remote, difficult-to-access area of the Troodos forest and rescued by helicopter.

The 60-year-old had been missing since Thursday afternoon after becoming separated from two friends while picking mushrooms.

His companions were subsequently located, but the man remained missing, prompting an extensive search operation.

The search involved police, the forestry department, the game and fauna service, civil defence and volunteer rescue teams.

Helicopters, drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras and search dogs were deployed, while ground teams faced considerable difficulties navigating the area’s steep terrain and dense vegetation.