Friends of missing Hull hiker Matthew Hall retrace steps in Italy
On Wednesday morning, Mr Hall's friend, Benjamin Lee, said the group was planning a trek "to get some visibility of the terrain".Mr Lee said Italian officials had informed them that, in addition to police and their resources, rescue teams totalling about 30 people were out looking for their friend."It's 24 hours, we're getting updates in the middle of the night from the teams," said Mr Lee.Nick Blowman, another friend, described Mr Hall as a "very competent" solo hiker, who "knows what he's doing".He added: "We've been having daily briefs with the search and rescue guys and they've been showing us where they've been."They're covering every square metre."Both men said the local community have been "unbelievable".
On Monday, Mr Hall's mother, Sara Foster, said: "I'm very wobbly at the moment, obviously, but I'm really trying to stay positive."In a last text sent to friend Jacob White at 13:37 BST on the day he went missing, Mr Hall had told him he thought he had taken "a wrong turn" on a trail and was "having a rest".Mr White said Mr Hall "sounded relaxed" in the text, with the latter asking him about his own holiday in Cornwall.He added that his friend "sounded as if any danger he might have seen was over".In a statement, Quickline described Mr Hall, who has worked as an engineer for the company since January 2023, as a "well-liked colleague". It added that it hoping for "a safe and positive outcome".A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of a British man missing in Italy and are in contact with the local authorities."
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