Latest news with #Valchiavenna
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Tragedy as missing Brit who vanished in Italian Alps is found dead close to where he sent final selfie to friend and message saying he'd 'lost the path'
A British hiker who went missing in Italy while on holiday has been found dead. Matthew Hall, 33, disappeared on July 9 after sending a message to friends saying he was lost shortly after heading into the mountains. Search teams spotted his body in a crevice a short distance from where he sent the final text and a helicopter had to be used to recover him because of the high risk to rescuers. IT worker Matthew had been staying in a B&B at Valchiavenna near Sondrio when he disappeared and the owner raised the alarms after he failed to check out. Friends of Mr Hall, who was from Hull and worked for broadband firm Quickline had flown out to join the hunt and his mother Sara Foster had also arrived to help. 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'. He had also sent a picture of a landmark at Alpe Daloo near San Giacomo Filippo to friends and family which is on a well known path and search teams used this as the focal point for the hunt. Mr Hall, who was described as a 'competent walker' had arrived in Italy in July 8 for a four day hiking break in the Valchiavenna range and drones and dogs had been used in the search before the tragic discovery. Lt Gim Toni De Masi, of the local carabinieri police, told MailOnline:'The body of the missing man was found at around 7pm on Wednesday night. 'He was around 200m below the cross where he had sent a picture, in a crevice in a very dangerous area and a helicopter had to be used to recover him. 'We received a call saying someone had spotted something and a team was sent back up the mountain to have a look and the discovery was made. 'His mother, who has only just arrived in Italy, has been informed and I understand his father is due to arrive here on Friday. 'It is not the outcome we were hoping for, and we send our condolences to his friends and family. 'His body was taken to a local hospital in Sondrio and the prosecutor has been informed as per procedure but as it looks like an accident his body will be repatriated shortly.'
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Desperate search for Brit hiker, 33, missing for five days in Italian Alps as last text he sent before vanishing is revealed
The last text message sent by a British hiker who vanished in the Italian Alps has been revealed. Matthew Hall, 33, has been missing for five days since he disappeared on July 9th while walking in the mountains of Valchiavenna. An urgent search effort was launched when Mr Hall failed to show up for checkout at the local bed and breakfast where he was staying. All attempts to contact him have been unsuccessful but his last communication has now been revealed. On the day Mr Hall went missing he texted a friend to say he'd lost the trail and stopped to rest. This is the last time anyone heard anything from the hiker. The last known sighting was at the 'All Right' pub on July 7. The staff remember seeing him there, but have not seen him since. Mr Hall, approximately 1.78 m tall with brown hair, had arrived in Chiavenna the on July 8, booking a stay at a B&B until July 11. An urgent search effort was launched when Mr Hall failed to show up for checkout at the local bed and breakfast where he was staying Upon his arrival, he asked for directions to hikes in the area, and the hosts suggested several high-altitude itineraries. In the following days, although he never collected his breakfast, the hotel's owners weren't alarmed and simply assumed he'd left early for a walk. But, on the 11th, when he hadn't returned for checkout, alarm bells started to ring. The next day, they entered his room and found all his personal belongings and documents inside, but not his backpack. His phone was turned off. The B&B owner contacted the police and a manhunt began. The operation, which began on July 13th, is being coordinated by the Prefecture and involves the Carabinieri, the Guardia di Finanza, and the Alpine Rescue team.
