Oli Dugmore 4am - 7am
British hiker, 29, disappears in Swiss Alps as 'extremely worried' friends and family desperately search final location
2 August 2023, 13:42
A British hiker has vanished in the Swiss Alps as family and friends desperately search the last area he was seen in.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Aidan Roche, 29, was last heard from on June 22 during a hike in the Grindelward area of the Swiss Alps.
The chemical engineer, from Middlesbrough, is believed to have been walking back to his caravan when he went missing. No one has heard from him since.
Friends and family of the 29-year-old have since started a fundraiser as they continue their search, with it having already surpassed its goal of £30,000.
They said on their GoFundMe page: "The police and mountain rescue have exhausted every option they can for the past week and have now stopped searching, we need anything crucial information to help drive the investigation further forward to help bring our friend home.
"Once we have raised enough money to fund the campaign, we can start putting missing posters on screens and anywhere around the region to get his face seen as much as possible.
"We have also now been charged by the search team for the use of the helicopter so the funds raised here will also go towards those fees."
His brothers are also believed to have retraced the trail he was last seen on several times in a bid to find clues to his whereabouts.
In the latest update on the page, on July 20, they said: "Thank you all for your ongoing support, the work that everyone is doing is fantastic and highly appreciated!
"I also have an update that the family and extended family will be going out to Switzerland again on the 21st to continue the search focusing first on the location the pictures were taken and where the messages were last sent from."