British backpacker disappears without trace in Guatemala
FEARS were growing last night for a young British woman who has been missing for nearly a week in Guatemala.
Backpacker Catherine Shaw, 23, from Witney, Oxon, had been travelling through a mountainous region of the central American country. She had been staying in a hotel, but last Monday her female roommate found she had gone early in the morning without taking her passport, belongings or money.
Her parents Anne and Tarquin yesterday issued an emotional video appeal on Twitter, directly addressing ‘Our beautiful Catherine’. Mrs Shaw said: ‘Hello, Catherine, you’ve been out of touch for five days now and we, your friends and family, really need to know that you’re happy and that you’re well, so please get in touch.’
Her father added: ‘Please come home, sweetheart.’
Last night Mr Shaw was flying out to help with the operation to find her. Police in San Pedro near Lake Atitlan – a four-hour drive from the capital, Guatemala City – have set up searches aided by volunteers in the area, which is a favourite with western hikers and backpackers, but no trace of Ms Shaw has been found.
Friends have launched a social media campaign aided by the Lucie Blackman Trust in Britain.
Foreign Office advice cautions visitors that Guatemala has ‘one of the highest violent crime rates in Latin America’, warning to ‘take care in all parts of the country’.
A member of staff at the Hotel Mayachik told The Mail on Sunday: ‘She seemed very happy when she was staying with us and she was in good spirits. We’re working with the police now and helping them in any way we can.
‘ It’s very sad what’s happened but we’re hopeful Catherine can be found.’
Lake Atitlan is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, but San Pedro itself is packed with a strip of lively bars known as the ‘Gringo Trail’. Ms Shaw, who is blonde with blue eyes, left home last September and was travelling for two weeks in Guatemala, having previously been in Mexico and California.
Friend Paco Patchouli urgently appealed on his social media page, writing :‘ HELP! My friend has been missing since last Monday in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. She has no belongings with her, passport, money or mobile phone.’
Calls to the family home where Catherine’s mother Anne and sister Jenny live, were referred to the Lucie Blackman Trust.
Matt Searle, chief executive of the trust, said: ‘Catherine’s family and friends are obviously extremely worried about her. We would ask anyone who thinks they may have seen her to contact us.’
Anyone with information should contact the Lucie Blackman Trust on +44800 098 8485 from overseas and 0800 098 8485 from the UK.