05-08-2025
Journalist missing while on hiking holiday in Norwegian National Park
Rescuers are searching for a journalist who went missing on a hike in the remote Folgefonna national park, home to one of Norway 's largest glaciers.
Alec Luhn, 38, was last seen on 31 July - the same day he left the park, which stretches 545 square kilometres in western Norway.
He had been on a family holiday before setting out on a solo backpacking trip last Thursday from the town of Odda, according to information shared by friends online.
Mr Luhn was reported missing on Monday after he missed his flight from Bergen, police said.
Folgefonna National Park, known for its dramatic glacier tongues, wild valleys, and fast-flowing rivers, has drawn adventurous tourists since 1833.
However, its remote and rugged terrain can turn perilous in harsh weather conditions.
The search was suspended earlier due to severe weather, including heavy rain and strong winds, police told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
'Weather conditions started to get really bad around midnight,' said Tatjana Knappen, an operations manager from Vestland police. 'It was not reasonable to continue the search up in the mountains.'
However, police said they were hoping there would be a potential weather window to allow helicopter support and volunteer crews to resume the search, despite forecasts predicting another strong gale on Tuesday.
Red Cross volunteers were back on site Tuesday morning, according to NRK.
The US-born journalist is believed to be fit, well-equipped and an experienced hiker, police said.
According to information shared by friends online, Mr Luhn planned to visit two DNT cabins - Holmaskjer and Breidablikk - before planning to end his journey at the Årsnes Kai bus station on Monday morning.
His wife, journalist Veronika Silchenko, made a public appeal on social media on Tuesday, urging anyone with information or who may have seen him to get in touch.
The UK-based reporter is a Pulitzer Center Ocean Reporting Network fellow and has had two Emmy nominations.
Formerly based in Moscow and Istanbul, he has reported for The New York Times, The Atlantic, and was a regular Guardian Russia correspondent from 2013 to 2017.
