Latest news with #missinghiker
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Body of missing British hiker is found in Italy after he disappeared on New Year's Day with friend who also died on tragic trip
The body of a missing British hiker who disappeared with his friend on New Year's Day has been found in Italy. Londoners Aziz Ziriat, 36, and Samuel Harris, 35, were hiking in the Dolomites when they vanished without a trace - sparking a major search operation. Mr Ziriat's body was discovered this morning and Trentino Alpine and Speleological Rescue team are now working to recover his remains. His family have been informed, according to the mountain rescue organisation. Mr Harris was found dead just over a week after he went missing, with his body covered under deep layers of snow. A phone, card, and glasses belonging to Mr Ziriat were all discovered close to Mr Harris' body, but there was no sign of him then. In a video to friends before they vanished, the pair had detailed plans to scale a 3,000-metre mountain on January 1. But their family and friends became concerned when the two explorers missed their flights back to Britain on January 6 and alerted Italian authorities, who launched an urgent search, which were hampered by heavy snow and strong winds. The last known location of Mr Ziriat, who worked for Crystal Palace's Palace for Life foundation, and Mr Harris was close to a hut called Casina Dosson, which is near the town of Tione Di Trento, near Riva del Garda, on Lake Garda. Rescuers on a helicopter search tragically confirmed Mr Harris's body was found 'buried under the snow' at around 2,600m on January 8. Italy's alpine rescue service said ground teams found his body at the base of the Care Alto peak and suggested he may have fallen from rocks above the spot. The rescue teams had been searching the area after tracking a 'phone of one of the two mountaineers'. Following the discovery of Mr Harris's body at 1pm, rescuers and sniffer dogs continued searching for his hiking partner until 1.30pm, when the hunt was called off due to worsening wind and fog. An investigation is under way into the circumstances of the incident, a spokesperson said at the time. Earlier that day, rescuers said the men's backpacks and equipment were found during a search of a bivouac hut they are believed to have taken refuge in. The discovery of Mr Harris's body came just hours after Mr Ziriat's girlfriend, Bex Dimmock, said their disappearance 'just doesn't make sense'. Breaking down in tears on Good Morning Britain, Ms Dimmock said: 'There's just so many different possibilities and scenarios, that's the hardest thing. It doesn't make sense and we don't know what decisions they have made.' She added: 'They are really experienced, they have been to some really harsh conditions. 'This trip, they had a plan to go hut to hut and if the weather permitted they would sleep outside. 'They did have a nice route planned where they would end up in Lake Garda and have some time in that town before coming back.' In a separate interview with the BBC, Ms Dimmock said: 'They wanted to do a New Year's hike. They wanted to go from hut to hut throughout the Dolomites. 'They were planning on going off-grid, so that's not unexpected at all. 'I think they wanted to have some nights where they were out in nature and in fresh air and sleeping in the wild. They have all the gear and they've done hikes before. 'But they also wanted to get into the huts and have fires and drink red wine because it was New Year's, which they did do, because he did message me at one point and he was carrying a log up the mountain to one of the huts.' She added: 'I know they made it to the hut, and they were drinking red wine, but he said it was freezing.' She said she last spoke to Mr Ziriat at about 10:00 GMT on New Year's Day. 'He sent some photos of the mountains and a couple of himself,' she said. 'He said his phone was about to die but he would write back to me properly soon.' She said a few hours later, her messages were not being received by Mr Ziriat's phone. 'His phone had obviously died at that point, or he was out of range,' she said. Desperate friends of the missing pair also revealed the moment their GPS tracker went dead. Joseph Sheppard, a friend of Mr Ziriat, told The Times: '[Ziriat and Harris] were at a specific rifugio [shelter] and they looked like they were going to [try] and make it to the next refugio, which was on the other side of a mountain. So they had to go up one and down again. 'Their tracking [system] followed them from the rifugio up the mountain, it looks like they pretty much got to the peak of it and then the tracking stops.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Police search for hiker who went missing at McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale
A female hiker last seen May 21 at the McDowell Sonoran Preserve was reported missing, and Scottsdale police asked the community for any information. Hannah Moody, 31, was seen during morning hours at the Gateway Trailhead area of the Preserve, according to the Scottsdale Police Department. As of 10 a.m. on May 22, Moody had not returned to her car or made contact with family or friends. Police said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that Moody's disappearance was unexpected and uncharacteristic. Moody was last seen wearing a black tank top, black shorts, hiking boots and a pink backpack, police said. Search efforts began in the evening of May 21 and continued through the morning of May 22 using numerous Scottsdale Police Department resources. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and Phoenix Police Department helped search from the air. Anyone with information about Moody was asked to contact Scottsdale Police at 480-312-5000. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Police search for missing hiker at McDowell Sonoran Preserve
The Independent
12-05-2025
- The Independent
Police pause search for British man missing while hiking in New Zealand
A search and rescue operation for a British hiker who has been missing in New Zealand for over a week has now been paused by the local authorities. Eli Sweeting, 25, who is originally from Bristol, on 4 May and the alarm was raised. An experienced hiker, he is understood to have been exploring the area around the 5,560ft mountain near Milford Sound, on the country's South Island. A large-scale search was launched with volunteers, helicopters and specialist dogs, and Mr Sweeting's family also travelled out to assist. However, on Monday afternoon local time, acting commander for the district Inspector Matt Scoles said police had made the "difficult decision" to pause search efforts. "We have been supporting the tramper's [hiker's] family and we know this is difficult news for them to hear at what has been an incredibly distressing time," he said. "While the search has now been paused, we will be reviewing our efforts and looking to see if there is anything further we can do." He described the area as 'extremely dangerous and challenging terrain' and said they had been using two helicopters, thermal imagery and a drone to try and locate him, but to no avail. After seeing a light on the mountain, the search team has narrowed in on a path that leads down it, but the dense terrain has made it difficult for infrared cameras to pick up any movement. Weather warnings forced the operation to cease last Wednesday and Thursday, but it restarted on Friday. Mr Sweeting's sister Serena Sweeting has set up a fundraising page to help support the search efforts. She described her brother as 'one of the kindest, most compassionate people in my life'. She added he 'always enjoyed being in the mountains, and adventure is what he lives for'. 'Anyone who has met him will know what I mean,' she said in the post. 'He has such a positive, vibrant, and supportive energy.'
The Sun
09-05-2025
- The Sun
Desperate search for Brit hiker, 25, missing in New Zealand after vanishing SIX DAYS ago while on solo mountain climb
A DESPERATE search is underway to find a Brit hiker who has been missing in New Zealand for days. Eli Sweeting, 25, failed to return after a solo trip up the mile-high Mitre Peak near Milford Sound on Sunday. 2 2 Around 60 search and rescue volunteers with 10 police officers supported by helicopters have been frantically searching the area for the missing hiker. But the search was paused earlier today due to bad weather and difficult terrain - and is expected to resume tomorrow. Sweeting's family are on their way out to assist with the search effort. Family friend Samantha Eastwell, 31, told MailOnline: "We are all just trying to stay positive, they keep seeing a light so they don't know whether he is alive but when they keep having to call off the search because of the weather. "He's a very outdoorsy guy and has been in New Zealand for a while. He was dressed for the conditions but [his sister] Serena told me Eli had only packed for one night. "The whole family is very, very worried for him and are flying out there now." is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
