University kayaker still missing in Ecuador
ACARDIFF university kayaker is still believed to be missing a week after he disappeared in Ecuador
Adam Vaughan was kayaking with four others through the Ecuadorian jungle when the group lost control in flash floods on the Rio Albanico on Saturday.
Two men, Irish kayakers David Higgins, 26, and Alexander MacGourty, 19, have been confirmed by the Ecuadorian authorities to have died.
Two other men, local guide Joaquin Meneses, 18, and American Jeremiath Stewart both survived.
Mr Meneses told rescuers he had survived by eating insects and naranjillo (edible plants).
Franklin Puente, the governor of Morona Santiago province, confirmed that Mr Vaughan – who is understood to be a former vice president of Cardiff University kayak club – was still missing. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it is still assisting Mr Vaughan’s family.
A spokesperson said: “We are assisting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Ecuador and are in contact with the Ecuadorian authorities.”
Friend Andy Kettlewell described Mr Vaughan as “an amazing, humble and adventurous friend” who had been caught up in “a tragic accident”.
He told The Sun: “Adam was a true gentleman with qualities and values of the highest order. He did everything with a smile and no matter how hard things were he was always there with a smile and cracking a joke.”
Local newspaper El Universo said 40 troops and two helicopters have assisted with the search this week.
On Thursday the search party, including firefighters and a special operations group, covered the route from part of the Upano River to Tayuza. At a press conference earlier this week, El Comercio newspaper reported that Mr Meneses described the conditions on the river as “crazy”.
He said: “The flow of that river was so strong that getting out of the kayak was practically facing death. In the canyons there were rapids with waves and hollows of meters of height. Being there was crazy. “
Mr Meneses said all of the kayakers were very experienced but that the high water levels had made the river very powerful. Cardiff University kayakers group were left fearing the worst. In a statement posted on Facebook on Monday they issued a tribute describing Mr Vaughan as a “fantastic teacher, inspiration and vice president”.
Ben Longhust, senior assistant manager at Cardiff International White Water (CIWW), where Mr Vaughan worked as a freelance raft guide, said: “The whole team at CIWW have been saddened and shocked by the news from Ecuador.
“Adam was a highly respected and much-loved freelance raft guide, kayak instructor, and a friend to all of the team at CIWW.”