Latest news with #Cusco
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Homeless man who befriended British tourist robbed and left to live in the streets in Peru tragically dies just as his friend is due to return to the UK
The homeless man who befriended British tourist Hannah Almond in Peru when she was robbed and left penniless on the streets has tragically died. Hannah spent around a month living under a bridge with the elderly vagrant and was filmed desperately trying to stop officials taking him away in a car after aggressive locals forced the pair to move and burned their belongings. The 32-year-old fashion graduate from Grimsby was then tracked down by a friend who travelled to Cusco from his home in Lima after he learned of her desperate situation. She is expected to be flown back to the UK to continue her recovery from mental health problems, said to have been a contributing factor to the horror situation she found herself in after travelling to the South American country on a yoga retreat to 'find herself.' Overnight it emerged the elderly man she has spent much of the last few weeks with died at a charity-run OAP home he had been taken to after a brief stay at a hostel. He is understood to have been found dead in his bed yesterday, with local media reporting he died after contracting bronchial pneumonia. Local authorities have confirmed that the man, known by locals as the 'grandfather under the bridge', has yet to be identified. They are now expected to try to find out who he is with fingerprint tests as part of an autopsy and a possible public appeal. If he cannot be formally identified he is likely to be buried in a pauper's grave. It is not yet clear whether Hannah, whose mental health is known to be unstable, has been told the devastating news about the man described as the sole person she trusted after ending up on the streets. During their time sheltering together beneath Cusco's Belén Bridge, local media reports that Hannah treated the elderly man's wounds and shared food with him. Then last Thursday, Hannah and the man were violently removed by a group of merchants on Avenue Ejército, who pushed them, threatened them with sticks, and then burned all their belongings, according to witnesses. The scenes sparked outrage across the city and forced police to intervene, with video later showing the elderly man being put into a police vehicle before he was taken to the home. The man had been the only person Hannah trusted, with the trauma from the attack leaving her too scared to accept help from embassy officials. She was eventually found on Sunday by Piero Villanueva, who she had met briefly in Lima and who travelled to Cusco to look for her after MailOnline raised awareness of her plight. She is expected to return to the UK soon. Henry Gonzales, a legal advisor for a Cusco public beneficence department, confirmed Hannah's friend's death, saying he had been admitted to the OAP residence where he died with the initials NN which stand for Ningun Nombre or No Name in English. He also claimed the homeless man had appeared to be okay health-wise when local authorities took him in, adding: 'He had already been assigned a bed and a room in his new residence.' The dead man's body is now at a morgue in Cusco. There is nothing at this stage pointing to his death being crime-related. A GoFundMe appeal set up by friends of Hannah's to help her get back to the UK from Peru before she vanished after her forced eviction now stands at nearly 95 per cent of its £10,000 target. She was found earlier this week after briefly going missing by Piero Villanueva who spent time with her in Lima after she arrived in Peru in March before she moved on to Cusco. Hannah's pal Sophie Wallace had revealed on the GoFundMe page before her worrying disappearance late last week: 'Hannah travelled to Peru in March hoping for an adventure but instead she has found herself in a terrifying and heartbreaking situation. '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. 'Despite attempts to help her through official channels, Hannah is deeply fearful and unable to accept support from the embassy or local authorities. 'She is extremely vulnerable, isolated, and not safe living on the streets of Peru.' Local traders were filmed pushing and threatening the former Leeds Beckett University fine arts student before she disappeared after complaining about her 'aggressive' behaviour towards them. Mark Atkinson, the British Consul in Peru, told local media Hannah arrived in Cusco in early March as a tourist and did not plan to overstay her visa as he revealed her immigration status was now in limbo. He said before she sparked fears for her safety by vanishing that the embassy had coordinated help with local police and offered direct support including hotel accommodation and food, but she kept returning to the same bridge she had been sleeping under before her forced eviction.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Homeless man who befriended Brit backpacker Hannah Almond after her Peru robbery hell dies just days after she was found
THE homeless man who befriended rescued rough sleeper British tourist Hannah Almond in Peru has tragically died. The 32-year-old from Grimsby slept rough under a bridge with the elderly man and was filmed desperately trying to stop cops from taking him away after locals forced the pair to move and burned their belongings. 2 2 Hannah was found on Tuesday by a Good Samaritan local Piero Villanueva who found her slumped on a pavement. She is expected to be flown back to the UK to continue her recovery from mental health problems said to have been a contributing factor to the horror situation she found herself in after travelling to the South American country on a yoga retreat to 'find herself.' Overnight it emerged the elderly man she has spent most of the last few weeks with died at a charity-run OAP home he had been taken to after a brief stay at a hostel. He is understood to have been found dead in his bed yesterday. Local authorities have confirmed he has yet to be identified and are now expected to try to find out who he is with fingerprint tests as part of an autopsy and a possible public appeal. If he cannot be formally identified he is likely to be buried in a pauper's grave. It is not yet clear whether Hannah, whose mental health is known to be unstable, has been told the devastating news about the man described as the sole person she trusted after ending up on the streets. Henry Gonzales, a legal advisor for a Cusco public beneficence department, confirmed Hannah's friend's death, saying he had been admitted to the OAP residence where he died with the initials NN which stand for Ningun Nombre or No Name in English. He also claimed the homeless man had appeared to be okay health-wise when local authorities took him in, adding: 'He had already been assigned a bed and a room in his new residence.' The dead man's body is now at a morgue in Cusco. There is nothing at this stage pointing to his death being crime-related.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
The Irish diaspora setting up and running businesses abroad
Setting up or taking over a business anywhere is bound to have it's challenges, let alone doing it away from home. But these Irish abroad have done just that. Along the narrow, cobbled streets of the artisanal quarter of Cusco, Peru, is an atelier called Hilo, home to a slow fashion brand founded by Irishwoman Eibhlin Cassidy in 2003 in the historical centre of this ancient Inca capital high up in the Andes. 'Being part of a supportive community has helped me build a local client base, which adds to the many international clients who visit the store,' she says. The Fermanagh woman's business, which she describes as 'elevated everyday wear with a twist', was the only creative business on the street at one stage. 'It's now where Cusco and international creatives open up shop. It is full of little cates and artisan boutiques.' READ MORE Mark Saunders is known for rescuing Laulhère , the oldest and last authentic French company making berets who supply the hats to French military, armies in Senegal, Chad and Kurdistan and police in Dubai – and that's not including the berets sold in the fashion industry. The Dublin man has lived in France for the last 30 years and has settled in the southwest of the country. The most recent step in his career has been to take over Christy Hats, the oldest and largest hat-making company in the world with a history dating back to 1773. 'We made all the Peaky Blinders hats and 250 for all the crew members (of the drama series). We made hats for Downton Abbey and more than 30 movie productions,' he says. Saunders says brands like his are 'on the verge of extinction, but I hope Christys will see another 250 years. I love what I do and taking on these challenges is how I keep motivated. I am 56 now and see this as the last chapter in my career.' Beijing Correspondent Denis Staunton recently spoke to the Irish companies based in China, as well as Peter Markey, who chairs the Irish Chamber of Commerce in China. Markey first went to China 30 years ago and has spent much of the past two decades in Shanghai, where he was a partner at EY until he retired in 2018. He says the attitudes of the two nations can often benefit off one another in unexpected ways. 'The Chinese have this reputation of working crazy hours and all the rest of it but that's not the whole story. They quite like going out for a nice dinner and having fun with people. 'That's really when the Irish attitude to having fun and letting the hair down a bit can really help with developing relationships.' Ruairí Doyle has settled in Canada, though he had no intention to move from Ireland again after a three-year spell working for Google in London. That was, however, until an opportunity arose with Press Reader in Dublin in 2017 and the rest, as they say, is history. The job brought him to Vancouver and, in 2022, the Rathnew native was appointed chief executive. Now, he is enjoying the outdoor lifestyle in the thriving west-coast port city with his wife, Kim, and their two sons. 'It can be challenging at times, with me being from Ireland and Kim being from Quebec. We don't have the support network of grandparents around. We do our best to instil a bit of Ireland and a bit of Quebec into the boys. We have hurleys and sliotars in the garden and maple syrup and cretons in the fridge.' Meanwhile, columnist Laura Kennedy, who is based in Canberra, Australia, writes about the age-old saying that absence – or in this case, distance – makes the heart grow fonder and how she has relearned to be Irish and how to value the places she didn't appreciate before. This bittersweet part of emigration is shared by the expats down under that Padraig Collins spoke to. Fildelma McCorry has been in Adelaide since 1999 and says she is there to stay. During last November's election campaign in the Republic, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris said during a debate that he was 'gonna get people's children back from Australia'. McCorry was not impressed, though: 'They always say that.' She says one of her daughters could spend a year studying in Dublin as part of her course, but the cost would be far too high, as despite having an Irish passport, she would still be considered a foreign student. 'Until they make those things open for diaspora children, it [everything the Government says] is just rhetoric, it's just talk.' And, for the few weeks it was, Patsy McGarry l ooked at the role of the Irish diaspora in electing Pope Leo XIV. Sure you'll find the Irish everywhere!
The Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Missing Brit backpacker's heartwarming first words revealed after she was found homeless in Peru by heroic uni friend
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. 8 8 8 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. Fisherman survives 3 MONTHS lost at sea by eating turtles, birds & cockroaches after being blown off course by storm "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. 8 8 8 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." 8 8 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.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Revealed: The first words British backpacker said to her friend when the pair were finally reunited after 32-year-old 'vanished' in Peru
The friend who flew out to rescue British tourist Hannah Almond after she disappeared in Peru has revealed her first words after they were reunited. Ms Almond, 32 from Grimsby, went missing after being violently robbed by locals and left sleeping under a bridge with no money or passport for a month. She was found on Sunday by Peruvian Good Samaritan Piero Villanueva, before a friend 'Matti' immediately caught a flight to Cusco to try and bring her home. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Matti told how when he was reunited with Hannah on Tuesday she had been wearing the same Superman pyjama bottoms and a 'Friends' t-shirt for almost a week after locals burned all her other clothes. 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 pajamas 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. 'I think she was left with only the clothes that she was wearing from the fire. 'When she saw Mila her friend from Grimsby who lives in Peru, they danced down the street which was lovely to see 'I think she was overwhelmed when I saw her if I'm honest. 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.' Soon after they were reunited, Hannah used Matti's phone to make a tearful phone call to her grandmother back in the UK to let her know she is safe. During the call 'she burst into tears for about 10 minutes and then a lot of love was expressed'. Matti has also bought her clothes and food. Friends had previously revealed Hannah had gone to Peru in March 'hoping for adventure' and to 'find herself' at a yoga retreat but instead 'found herself in a terrifying and heartbreaking situation'. She was robbed and assaulted, losing her passport, phone and all of her money, a Gofundme page revealed, and after sleeping on the streets for a month she was attacked by locals, who set fire to her belongings - leaving her sleeping rough. Struggling to deal with the brazen attack, they said her mental health had 'severely declined' and 'in the midst of a mental health crisis' she had begun 'living under a bridge with a homeless man she befriended' in Cusco. He told local news he was 'talking with her mum' to plan next steps for Ms Almond Even after she was found, friends said she refused to accept assistance, with psychosis triggered by the trauma of being violently robbed leaving her too frightened to engage with officials or locals. Hannah is now recovering from her ordeal at Mila's house which is around an hour away from Cusco. Matti, who knows Hannah from her time as an arts student at Leeds Beckett University, said when he first saw her he noticed his friend's skinny appearance after living homeless in Cusco for more than a month. He added: 'She looked skinny, but generally ok considering the circumstances. 'Conversation was very spaced out, and she didn't tell me a lot about what's happened. I can see that what she has been through is really affecting her mindset 'She hasn't told me much about what has happened, as I can see there is a mental block around what's happened out here. She's definitely trying to shut it out.' A Gofundme page set up by Hannah's friends has raised almost £10,000 including from MailOnline readers. Hannah hadn't been aware of the fundraising until Matti told her. 'When I told her about the fundraiser she felt joy and love,' he said. 'She smiled and said thank you so much for supporting her.' Mark Atkinson, the British Consul in Peru, told local media Ms Almond arrived in Cusco in early March as a tourist and did not plan to overstay her visa, however her immigration status is now in limbo. 'She is in an illegal situation. Her tourist visa has already expired,' Atkinson explained. Adding that the embassy is coordinating with local police and has also offered direct support, including hotel accommodations and money for food but she keeps returning to the same bridge. 'Sometimes we've paid for hotel stays, given her money for food, that sort of thing. But she always ends up coming back here,' he added. More than 100,000 Brits travel to Peru every year, with most stopping in Cusco - the gateway to Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail. Travel advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office warns that a number of British tourists have been targeted by armed robbers in recent years. It says: 'Personal attacks, including sexual assaults, are infrequent but do happen, mostly in the Cusco and Arequipa areas.'
