A body found in the search for two missing British walkers in the Dolomites is believed to be that of Sam Harris, Italy’s alpine rescue service said.
The 35-year-old’s body was found buried in deep snow at the foot of a cliff at about 2,600 metres above sea level in the area of the Conca pass in the Adamello nature park.
Harris’s body was recovered by helicopter and transferred to Spiazzo in Trento. “The dynamics of the accident are still being examined by the police but it is possible that the mountaineer fell from a height,” the rescue service said in a statement.
The discovery came after two rucksacks and other equipment were found in a refuge on Wednesday. The location of Harris’s body was traced through his mobile phone.
Harris’s family who are in Italy helping with the search are believed to have been informed.
The land and air search for his friend Aziz Ziriat, 36, was stalled on Wednesday afternoon due to wind, fog and the risk of avalanches.
“As soon as a window of good weather permits, the search for the second climber will resume,” the rescue service said.
Ziriat and Harrishave been missing since New Year’s Day, when they last sent messages home. The pair, both from London, did not check in to their flight home on 6 January. Their relatives have travelled to Italy.
On Tuesday, Crystal Palace’s official charity, Palace for Life, where Ziriat worked, appealed for anyone who knew the area where they went missing and could help to call 999 with the reference: CAD 0197/07 Jan25.
The search on Tuesday was hampered by bad weather.
The men’s last known location was near a mountain hut called Casina Dosson, close to the town of Tione Di Trento, near Riva Del Garda, on Lake Garda.
Joe Stone, a university friend of Ziriat, told the PA news agency the pair were experienced hikers who liked to go off the grid, but “alarm bells were raised” when they failed to check in for their return flight.
He said: “They are experienced hikers and they go a couple of times a year. It wasn’t surprising that they had no signal as they like going off the grid. Alarm bells were raised though when they didn’t turn up for their flight.”
Ziriat’s girlfriend and friends of the hikers are in Italy helping to coordinate the search with local authorities.
Stone praised the public response and said they had seen a “nice side of humanity” since asking for help. He added: “The response from the local authorities has been fantastic and people from all walks of life have been trying to help, both in Italy and in the UK.”
