Family of missing hiker hunt for tourists who handed in his backpack after vanishing on the Giant’s Causeway
18 November 2024, 12:57 | Updated: 18 November 2024, 14:07
The family of a missing man whose backpack was handed in by two tourists on a stretch of the Giant's Causeway are appealing to them for information.
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Hiker Lester McLennan, 20, went missing after embarking on a hike at the world renowned site in Northern Ireland on November 1.
His family are now reaching out in the hope that two tourists who found his backpack close to the coastline were he vanished may hold the key to their search.
"I can’t do anything," his mother Lalitha McLennan emotionally told local media.
The south London-born hiker ventured to the Giant’s Causeway, located around an hour from Belfast, with Mr Lester captured on CCTV at around 9.30am on Friday 1 November.
Police described Mr Lester as a white male, measuring 6ft 3in tall and with a slim build with light brown hair.
Mr Lester was then captured on further footage outside UNESCO World Heritage site's visitor's centre before he's believed to have set off to explore the area.
He has not been seen or heard from since.
His mother, who joined her son on the trip to visit family in Northern Ireland, raised the alarm when he failed to return to their accommodation in Belfast.
“I think we’re looking for his body now,” his mother admitted.
The 20-year-old is described as wearing black glasses at the time of his disappearance, light beige trousers with a dark belt, walking boots, a long grey coat to below the knee and a dark zip-up jacket.
He was also carrying a black backpack which is believed to have been the bag discovered by the two toursits.
“I really want to know and I can’t do anything until I know,” she told UTV.
“I don’t know where they come from with that bag, and if it was really near or if it was eight miles down the road."
If it was eight miles down the road, then we could look at eight miles down the road thoroughly,” she said.
“He was excited to see the Causeway.
“He’d been up the West Highland Way in the summer.
“He likes hiking and natural spaces and was really keen to see it.”
Police are appealing to Lester or anyone who may have seen him on 1st or 2nd November to contact them in Coleraine on 101, quoting reference number 76 02/11/24
