The hunt for missing British child Madeleine McCann has been reignited in Portugal as police teams have entered the second day of searching a reservoir near where the toddler vanished 16 years ago. Since little <a href="https://vt.co/news/madeleine-mccanns-parents-share-heartbreaking-message-on-her-20th-birthday-were-waiting-for-you" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Madeleine went missing</a> back in 2007, the McCanns' story has captured the attention of people across the UK and the globe, as her parents - Gerry and Kate - have tirelessly campaigned for answers regarding their daughter's disappearance. The McCanns had been vacationing with friends in Praia da Luz, Portugal, when Kate and Gerry left their three children to sleep in their apartment while they dined at a nearby tapas restaurant. That's when Madeleine - who was mere days away from turning four - vanished from her bedroom. What ensued was an international media frenzy, as British and Portuguese authorities poured millions into trying to come to a positive conclusion. Though 16 years on, the case has not come to an end, as Madeleine still remains missing. <img class="wp-image-1263209740 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/05/D33KHF.jpg" alt="" width="1213" height="1470" />[[imagecaption|| Madeleine McCann went missing in 2007 while on a family vacation in Portugal. Credit: James Boardman Archive / Alamy]] However, the search for Madeleine is far from over. This week, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65680151">BBC News</a> reported that police divers have started searching a remote reservoir in Portugal, which is located roughly 31 miles (50km) from where the British toddler went missing. <h2>Who is Christian Brueckner?</h2> German police are said to be leading the search, as they continue their investigation into 45-year-old Christian Brueckner - an official suspect in the disturbing case. Police teams from Germany, the UK, and Portugal have set up tents around The Arade dam, with divers and sniffer dogs present around the bank. A short statement released by German police (via <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/madeleine-mccann-disappearance-police-search-reservoir-portugal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS</a>) on Tuesday (May 23) reads: "As part of the investigation into the case of Madeleine McCann there are currently measures related to the criminal process taking place in Portugal. The measures are being implemented [...] by the Portuguese law enforcement authorities with the support of officers of the [German] Federal Criminal Police Office. Further information on the background will not be released at this time." Brueckner, now 45, was reportedly living in a camper van near Praia da Luz at the time of Madeleine's disappearance, with phone records allegedly showing that he received a call near the McCann family's vacation apartment about an hour before the toddler disappeared. He has denied any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance and has not been charged with any crimes, however, he is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in Portugal in 2005, per <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/police-search-portuguese-dam-16-years-after-maddie-mccann-vanished-2023-05-22/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>. <h2>What are authorities looking for at the reservoir?</h2> Given their suspicions that Brueckner is responsible for the kidnapping and possible murder of Madeleine, police are searching the Barragem do Arade reservoir for evidence that might link him to the crime - especially as it is believed that Brueckner used to visit the reservoir. Madeleine was wearing pink Winnie The Pooh and Eeyore pajamas at the time of her disappearance, with <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/madeleine-mccann-update-search-latest-today-b2344646.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Independent</a> reporting that officers are acting on "credible information", and are seeking any fragments of clothing and old rags that could be related to her disappearance. The outlet also reported that German police claim to have "concrete evidence" that Madeleine is dead, though this has not been proven. Detectives searching the area reportedly took "a number of bags" away from the reservoir this week, though it was not clear what was inside them. While divers searched the water, police were spotted digging beside the reservoir, and sniffer dogs have also been used by police to search both sides of the water. Police were seen hammering away at the ground with pickaxes and combing through small rocks with rakes and spades, <a href="http://independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/madeleine-mccann-police-search-pyjamas-portugal-b2344781.html">The Independent</a> detailed. On Wednesday, it was reported by the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12118463/MADELEINE-MCCANN-SEARCH-LIVE-German-Portuguese-police-continue-hunt.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a> that the search at the reservoir - which is being led by German authorities with the assistance of Portuguese and UK teams - will continue for a third day. <h6>Featured image credit: James Boardman Archive / Alamy</h6>

Madeleine McCann reservoir search: What are police in Portugal looking for?

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