British hiker missing in the Pyrenees
Esther, 37, takes selfie on solo hike in the mountains... then disappears
SMILING on top of a mountain, a thrilled British hiker takes a selfie – before vanishing.
Rescuers have been desperately searching for Esther Dingley, 37, who was due to return from a solo hike in the Pyrenees on November 25.
She sent the summit photo to her partner Dan Colegate, 38, from 7,800ft Pic de Sauvegarde on the France/Spain border on November 22.
The couple, from Durham, left their jobs in Britain after Mr Colegate suffered a serious health scare and have been travelling in a campervan across Europe for six years.
However, fears were growing last night that their dream of escaping the rat race may have ended in tragedy. A distraught Mr Colegate posted an emotional message on Facebook on Saturday, saying: ‘I’m broken. Shattered to report that my beloved Esther, the person who taught me how to feel, is missing.
‘She was last seen six days ago when she sent me this photo. Search and rescue teams have so far found no trace of her.
‘The only purpose of this post is to ask for prayers, thoughts, candles and whatever you have. I’ve not been saying anything, but this wonderful person believes in the power of positive thought and right now I’ll take anything if it means that she can be found. I need her back. I can’t face the alternative.’
Former business development manager Mr Colegate said Miss Dingley was on the summit at 4pm and planned to spend the night at a mountain shelter. Searches found ‘no sign at all’ of her. He said: ‘She always tried to keep in touch but sometimes on her hikes was out of contact for a couple of days. This is not looking good.’
Helicopters and dogs have been involved in the search.
Writing about her climbing adventures on Facebook days before going missing, Miss Dingley described how she found herself ‘racing the weather’ during one hike and pushing her ‘comfort zone’ as she headed out alone in difficult conditions.
The couple decided to go travelling after Mr Colegate nearly died from a post-surgical infection.
They started a blog when they set out in 2014 and have written about their exploits on the road – including five children’s stories featuring their five dogs.
Miss Dingley, who ran her own personal training firm in the UK, is understood to have been away on her own for a month while Mr Colegate stayed at a farm in Gascony, France.
Writing on their website, they said it took a serious health scare ‘to shock us into realising how fragile our lives are and that we needed a drastic change to discover what made us happy and find a more sustainable way of life.’ The couple headed to Europe to pursue their love of cycling, hiking and climbing, living off savings, rental income and odd jobs.
They have lived in France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Slovenia and Liechtenstein.
They spent summers in the altitudes of the Alps and Pyrenees, and winters in the warmer climes of Spain.
A spokesman for the emergency services said: ‘The search intensif i ed on Friday. All available resources are being used, but there is growing concern for her safety.’ Snow has been falling at night in the area and temperatures can drop to minus 2C.
Climbing and hiking accidents in the region are common, especially on mountain paths where rocks can become easily dislodged.
In July 2017, a 31-year-old French woman lost her life in front of her partner after a rock she was clinging to for support came loose, sending her tumbling.
A police spokesman said last night they were ‘actively looking’ for Miss Dingley and they were committed to ‘ safeguarding human life’.
‘This is not looking good’