Missing Brit backpacker's heartwarming first words revealed after she was found homeless in Peru by heroic uni friend

The Sun

5 days ago

THE first words of the missing British backpacker who was found homeless in Peru have been revealed by a university pal who flew out to track her down.
Hannah Almond, 32, had vanished in Cusco, Peru, after being robbed and was left sleeping rough under a bridge.
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The tourist from Grimsby is said to have wrapped her arms around pal Matti and told him "I love you" after local Piero Villanueva found her slumped on a pavement.
Piero - a Good Samaritan - had managed to track Hannah down after briefly meeting her in Lima.
Matti - who reportedly met Hannah when they studied together at Leeds Beckett University - had flown out on an urgent mission to rescue her.
He said: "I came straight off the flight, and before I got to my accommodation I got the taxi to drop me off at the main square where she was with her friend.
"She wrapped her arms around me and said 'I love you'.
"She was wearing superman pyjamas given to her by a friend as she has nothing to her name.
"Minimal clothing, no money, and no personal items like a phone or passport."
Matti also helped Hannah reunite with some of the pals she had originally gone travelling with.
Speaking of Hannah's fragile state, he told MailOnline:"I think she was overwhelmed when I saw her if I'm honest.
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"After some time she has expressed love and gratitude for me being here. We sat and had a bottle of water and talked about home.
"She didn't want to eat anything at the time. We have listened to some music that reminded us of friends and times back in Leeds."
According to Matti, Hannah has made calls back to home in Grimsby, with the pal ensuring she gets the help she needs and paying for her expenses while they remain in Peru.
Local hero Piero confirmed he found Hannah yesterday before posting a smiling selfie of them together.
In an interview with a local TV station, he described how Hannah recognised him and broke down in tears before agreeing to leave with him.
He said: "I have just found her. She is safe and well. I'd like to thank the authorities and the people who contacted me so I could help her.
"Hannah recognised me and approached me crying and I asked her to leave with me. Thanks God she's safe."
Piero had been liaising with the British Consul and Hannah's friends in a WhatsApp group, coordinating efforts to track her down.
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He searched late into the night on Saturday after she was last seen near Cusco's San Pedro market.
He said: 'We searched from 7pm until 3am, and again on Sunday.'
Footage from local media shows the pair together walking through Cusco together shortly after their reunion.
A GoFundMe page set up to help bring Hannah home confirmed she had been found thanks to the massive online effort.
A friend wrote: "Due to the help of everyone sharing the story, Hannah has thankfully been found and one of her friends is on the way to Cusco to persuade her to accept support and come home.
"We know she has been refusing help due to the complexity of her mental health, so it is most likely that she will need to be placed into psychiatric care before getting a flight back.
"This is an ongoing process but we are doing all we can to bring her back safely."
Another pal Sophie Wallace revealed the fashion graduate had travelled to Peru in March "hoping for an adventure" but ended up in a "terrifying and heartbreaking situation".
She said: "She was robbed and assaulted, losing her passport, phone, and all of her money.
"Since then Hannah's mental health, something she has long struggled with, has severely declined.
"She is now in the midst of a mental health crisis, living under a bridge with a homeless man she befriended — the only person she currently trusts."
Attempts to get her help through the embassy or police had failed, with Sophie adding: "She is extremely vulnerable, isolated, and not safe living on the streets of Peru."
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Fears for her safety deepened after she had her belongings burned and was evicted from her makeshift shelter under the Belén Bridge.
Mark Atkinson, the British Consul in Peru, said Hannah had arrived in Cusco in March and had not intended to overstay her visa.
He revealed her immigration status was now "in limbo".
He said that before she vanished, the embassy had offered support — including hotel stays and food — but she kept returning to sleep under the same bridge.
Local media reports say she is now 'being cared for and accompanied' and that repatriation procedures are underway.
Piero had spoken just hours before finding her about why he felt compelled to act.
"I met Hannah in Lima where I come from," he said.
"I decided to travel to Cusco at the request of her friends and family after seeing her situation online — she was sleeping under a bridge."
He added: 'She didn't have money or documents after being robbed.
"She was a victim of the insecurity in Cusco."
FCDO travel advice to Peru
THE UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against all but essential travel to certain parts of Peru due to ongoing safety and security concerns.
Affected areas:
Within 20km south of the Peru-Colombia border (Loreto region), excluding the Amazon River and triple border area near Santa Rosa de Yavari.
Valley of the Apurímac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers (VRAEM) — a known hotspot for criminal activity.
State of emergency:
A State of Emergency is in place until June 17 across the Lima and Callao regions, including key districts such as San Juan de Lurigancho, Villa El Salvador, and Comas.
This allows joint police-army operations and the suspension of certain constitutional rights - including detention without a judicial order.
Travel insurance warning:
Travelling against FCDO advice may invalidate your travel insurance.
Make sure your policy covers your entire itinerary, including adventure activities or volunteering.
Stay informed and read the full FCDO travel guidance before travelling.