Found Deceased Spain - Cole Henderson, 27, an American, last known location Torla-Ordesa nr Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Pyrenees, 9 July 2025.

[RedHaus]

I found a public website for updates on the search for Guilford Cole Henderson.

There is a lot there including sites with image uploads if folks want to help scan them for Cole's orange pack / green tent.

Here is a small excerpt under "Latest".

"- Update From SAR: It seems most likely that he got in trouble on Mount Perdido. Mountain Rescue says there are hundreds of trails he could be on coming off the north side. Focus looking there on the satellite images all the way down into France.
- Focus on South East Monte Perdido: Picos de Baudrimont, Collada de Añisclo, los Esparrets"

Search efforts Dexter | Notion

Latest Info

dexterenergy.notion.site

 

[ZaZara]

I found a public website for updates on the search for Guilford Cole Henderson.

There is a lot there including sites with image uploads if folks want to help scan them for Cole's orange pack / green tent.

Here is a small excerpt under "Latest".

"- Update From SAR: It seems most likely that he got in trouble on Mount Perdido. Mountain Rescue says there are hundreds of trails he could be on coming off the north side. Focus looking there on the satellite images all the way down into France.
- Focus on South East Monte Perdido: Picos de Baudrimont, Collada de Añisclo, los Esparrets"

Search efforts Dexter | Notion

Latest Info

dexterenergy.notion.site

That is impressive!

 

[Glamis Girl]

I found a public website for updates on the search for Guilford Cole Henderson.

There is a lot there including sites with image uploads if folks want to help scan them for Cole's orange pack / green tent.

Here is a small excerpt under "Latest".

"- Update From SAR: It seems most likely that he got in trouble on Mount Perdido. Mountain Rescue says there are hundreds of trails he could be on coming off the north side. Focus looking there on the satellite images all the way down into France.
- Focus on South East Monte Perdido: Picos de Baudrimont, Collada de Añisclo, los Esparrets"

Search efforts Dexter | Notion

Latest Info

dexterenergy.notion.site

From your link, I noticed this Part of the report: "Update from Dutch Police and Apple/FindMy: No further information of location possible beyond Wednesday 14:00" He currently lives in the Netherlands so I assume that's why Dutch police were able to access his iPhone data.

Whatever trouble he encountered, if he were conscious, he would most certainly have turned on his iPhone. It's possible there's no service where he landed, so maybe that's why no pinging or ability to locate...or maybe he was knocked out after a fall. That there's no data after that 2 pm time (when he departed for the hike) is interesting. I wonder if there's just no service in the entire area or he never turned his phone on during his hike? Unusual for youngsters to not try to post an image to Instagram...especially in such a gorgeous area.

Thank you for posting the link!

 

[Kittypoo]

There are concerns for Cole who was last heard from 9 July 2PM, when he texted he was starting a solo hike. His phone last pinged in Torla and hasn’t been heard from since. He missed his return flight on July 13.
A family appeal

Missing in Spain – Please Share

My husband's nephew, Cole Henderson, a 27-year-old American, has gone missing while hiking in the Pyrenees Mountains. His last known location was Torla-Ordesa, near Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park. He was last heard from on July 9 around 14:00, when he texted that he was starting a solo hike. His phone last pinged in Torla, and he hasn’t been heard from since. He missed his return flight on July 13.
We believe he may have entered the park from the Torla side and was carrying the orange backpack in the photo. Search efforts are underway, but we’re desperate to spread the word for any information that may lead us to him.
If you or someone you know is in the area—or recently hiked near Ordesa—please share this or reach out with any info. Even the smallest detail could help.
Please contact me directly with any information. Thank you.
A article in Spanish

La Guardia Civil inicia la búsqueda de un senderista estadounidense desaparecido en Ordesa

Un allegado ha dado la voz de alarma tras perder el contacto el 9 de julio, cuando recibió un último mensaje en el que informaba que había dejado el coche en Torla

www.diariodelaltoaragon.es

View attachment 601865

Who took this photo of solo hiking?

 

[charminglane]

From your link, I noticed this Part of the report: "Update from Dutch Police and Apple/FindMy: No further information of location possible beyond Wednesday 14:00" He currently lives in the Netherlands so I assume that's why Dutch police were able to access his iPhone data.

Whatever trouble he encountered, if he were conscious, he would most certainly have turned on his iPhone. It's possible there's no service where he landed, so maybe that's why no pinging or ability to locate...or maybe he was knocked out after a fall. That there's no data after that 2 pm time (when he departed for the hike) is interesting. I wonder if there's just no service in the entire area or he never turned his phone on during his hike? Unusual for youngsters to not try to post an image to Instagram...especially in such a gorgeous area.

Thank you for posting the link!

If he fell, the phone might have landed far away from him.

 

[RedHaus]

It's possible there's no service where he landed, so maybe that's why no pinging or ability to locate...or maybe he was knocked

RSBM
I have been contemplating this same question.

@ZaZara, do you recall how we got a grasp of where Dingley would and wouldn't have cell service in the Pyrenees area she was presumed to be?

I remember we had useful demarkations of cell service on a map. Maybe it was by SAR. But since you are in Spain (IRRC) did you help with that?

 

[RedHaus]

Back to that public website with GCH search details and updates... I had a chance to go deeper. I thought these tips and insights were interesting...

Search efforts Dexter | Notion

Latest Info

dexterenergy.notion.site

 

[Glamis Girl]

Back to that public website with GCH search details and updates... I had a chance to go deeper. I thought these tips and insights were interesting...
View attachment 603174
View attachment 603175View attachment 603176
View attachment 603177

Search efforts Dexter | Notion

Latest Info

dexterenergy.notion.site

Re "pegs in the wall" ... I watched a few YouTube videos from a search for "Perdido summit" and saw the hikers coming down an approx 10 ft section from high to lower trail and noticed the pegs! So reading this part i was able to visualize what they were talking about. The place on this video looked technical but not especially dangerous for a good strong hiker ...even with a backpack.

But there are definitely some really technical parts of the hike that, even though I'm a very experienced hiker (mostly AZ and Utah) i would not have done the hike past refugio Goriz. Some people mentioned it rained on Friday and I'm thinking how slippery even the easier parts of the trail could have gotten.

Thank you for posting this section!

 

[Glamis Girl]

I'm reading through the link posted by RedHaus and noticed this search by Cole on July 2. He says he planned a 4 day hike from Wed-Sat, which is new info. I originally thought he planned an overnight trip broken up in 2 sections, returning on Thursday. From the area he parked, seems like he decided on Route 1, but since he had so much time, he could have taken any number of trails after he started out.

I originally only looked at a map of the area but today looked at google earth inage of thr trails in the area. There are so many trees! If Cole fell from an area, he could be in an area with trees and not be seen. Then I started thinking about bears...and wonder if he encountered a bear when he was sleeping for the night.

On the link RedHaus posted it also shows a list of pix from satellite images captured before and after Cole's hike days with the images of anomolies like green blob...possibly Cole's tent, or orange blob...possibly the backpack. Very creative search crew!

 

[ZaZara]

Who took this photo of solo hiking?

The picture was taken on a different hike.

Full picture:

Col de Balme (sign on top of the pole) is in on the border between Switzerland and France.

 

[ZaZara]

Arnhems echtpaar helpt bij zoektocht naar vermiste man (27) in Pyreneeën

ARNHEM, THE NETHERLANDS - A Dutch husband and wife from Arnhem are helping with their rescue team Rescue International in the search for an American who is missing in the Spanish Pyrenees.

Cole Henderson, 27, went missing in the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park. He last contacted a friend on 9 July. He was reported missing on 14 July after missing his return flight on 12 July.

Rescue International has been involved in the search since Friday. ‘We are working together with the Guardia Civil and Spanish search and rescue teams. We are searching with helicopters, drones and ground teams,’ says Anne van den Ouwelant of Rescue International. ‘My husband Humberto (Hinestrosa, ed.) is supporting them and conducting a search and rescue analysis. He has also had success with Colombian children who were missing in the jungle.’ At that time, four children were found alive in the Colombian jungle after a plane crash, thanks to their help after forty days.

Hinestrosa indicates that the search is not easy. The biggest challenge is the area. ‘The mountains, and also the size of the search area make this search difficult. The altitude and weather conditions, which can change at any moment. There are times when you can't see anything at all.’

This kind of search is not without danger, according to Hinestrosa, who has been involved in rescue operations since 1992. ‘It is important that we work with people who have experience with the terrain in this operation. And that we search for the missing person with concentration and focus. We have an effective search plan and will continue tomorrow.’

BBM

The report isn't quite clear, RI may or may not be on location in Spain.
IMO Rescue International operates from their office in Arnhem, gathering all available data from multiple sources, and translate this into actionable insights.
Examples of their work on the website Rescue International

 

[Hexe]

Considering Cole
hit the trail very late, I would not be surprised if the night caught him in a spot unsuitable for a bivouac and he, trying to find suh spot in the darkness either lost the trail or walked himself off the cliff.

 

[windrower]

Cole Henderson, 27, went missing in the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park. He last contacted a friend on 9 July. He was reported missing on 14 July after missing his return flight on 12 July.

sbm

Also this, copied from the opening post on this thread:
There are concerns for Cole who was last heard from 9 July 2PM, when he texted he was starting a solo hike. His phone last pinged in Torla and hasn’t been heard from since. He missed his return flight on July 13.
A family appeal

Starting a solo hike on July 9, presumably at 2:00 p.m. when the text was sent.

Intended to fly home on July 12 (as per official statements) or July 13 (as per the family’s info)

My supposition: So his hike of (how many miles?) was to be two and a half days duration if he was flying home on the 12th (half day on 9, then 10 and 11), and three and a half if he was flying home on the 13th (half day on 9, then 10-12).

Are these timeframes reasonable for what his plan was?

And my main question: if he had a personal locator beacon (PLB), would it still be active by the time they started searching for him?

Why don’t all hikers carry a PLB? Is the cost prohibitive?

This very much reminds me of Esther Dingley and that it seemed (IMO) she was not as prepared for the hike (clothing, shoe type, supplies) as she needed to be.

May Cole’s case be resolved soon.

 

[RedHaus]

Some interesting family history...

And a bit of what may be irrelevant new info:

"Henderson and some friends hiked together in early July, and afterward, on July 9, Henderson said he was putting his phone on airplane mode and hiking solo, his friends posted."

Grandson of Nashville Swan Ball founder, former Denmark ambassador goes missing in Spain

The 27-year-old, Cole Henderson, is the grandson of the late Swan Ball founder Jane Dudley and the late Guilford Dudley Jr., once the ambassador to Denmark

www.tennessean.com

 

[ZaZara]

La búsqueda de Cole Henderson sigue por tierra, agua y aire en Ordesa y Monte Perdido

Almost two weeks after the search for Cole Henderson began, the 27-year-old American remains missing, but the rescue operation continues and is adding more personnel on land, water and air in the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park.

<modsnip - posting more than 10% is a copyright violation - see link>

BBM

 

[ZaZara]

VIDEO at link:

Vídeo: Algunos de los momentos más angustiosos y espectaculares en la búsqueda del desaparecido en Ordesa

Some of the most nerve-wracking and dramatic moments in the search for the missing hiker in Ordesa ~searches between the ice of the glacier and the rock on top of the mountain.

This is the incredible work of the specialists from the Mountain Rescue Intervention Groups (Greim) in the search for the young man who went missing in Ordesa.

 

[ZaZara]

De San Fermín a perderse en Ordesa: ¿dónde está Cole Henderson?

From San Fermín to missing in Ordesa, where is Cole Henderson?

(....)

As explained by telephone, since the search operation was organised, Lieutenant Baín Gutiérrez of the Civil Guard's GREIM unit, who is in charge of the operation, said that the fact that the mobile device was not active made it impossible from the outset to search by geolocation and coordinates. The only alternative is to “comb” the terrain, in a coordinated and uninterrupted effort that has also been ongoing for two weeks, with members of the Guardia Civíl mountain rescue unit from all over Aragon, Catalonia and also from Navarra.

(....)

However, on this occasion, the days pass and there is no answer to the question posed in the title of this report. Baín Gutiérrez has already participated in operations that have lasted more than a month and explains that in areas as large as this search, the resolution can take time. "We call them complex rescue operations because they take a long time and because the area is not clearly defined. We have helicopters, drones, dogs, aquatic search teams working in riverbeds and ravines... But in the end, it is high mountain terrain, subject to weather conditions that can complicate the search, with areas of glaciers, hundreds oflimestone caves, snowfields, etc."

(....)

In addition to ground and air searches, the Guardia Civíl has also begun complementary investigative work, including contacting the family, analysing bank transactions and reviewing any clues that could help the search.


BBM

 

[Hexe]

I don't see a happy ending here.

 

[ZaZara]

If you have access to X / Twitter, you can watch a video with underwater searches from the Guardia Civíl. (Not sure if this works here on WS, but I do hope so.)

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For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

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We are continuing the search for Cole Henderson, the American citizen who went missing in #Ordesa.

Units from the #GREIM from across the province of Huesca, Navarra, Zaragoza, Teruel and Lleida, the #UnidadAérea from Benasque and the #GEAS from the Aragon region are participating in the operation.

BBM


GEAS: special underwater operations group.

 

[Seni]

Arnhems echtpaar helpt bij zoektocht naar vermiste man (27) in Pyreneeën

ARNHEM, THE NETHERLANDS - A Dutch husband and wife from Arnhem are helping with their rescue team Rescue International in the search for an American who is missing in the Spanish Pyrenees.

Cole Henderson, 27, went missing in the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park. He last contacted a friend on 9 July. He was reported missing on 14 July after missing his return flight on 12 July.

Rescue International has been involved in the search since Friday. ‘We are working together with the Guardia Civil and Spanish search and rescue teams. We are searching with helicopters, drones and ground teams,’ says Anne van den Ouwelant of Rescue International. ‘My husband Humberto (Hinestrosa, ed.) is supporting them and conducting a search and rescue analysis. He has also had success with Colombian children who were missing in the jungle.’ At that time, four children were found alive in the Colombian jungle after a plane crash, thanks to their help after forty days.

Hinestrosa indicates that the search is not easy. The biggest challenge is the area. ‘The mountains, and also the size of the search area make this search difficult. The altitude and weather conditions, which can change at any moment. There are times when you can't see anything at all.’

This kind of search is not without danger, according to Hinestrosa, who has been involved in rescue operations since 1992. ‘It is important that we work with people who have experience with the terrain in this operation. And that we search for the missing person with concentration and focus. We have an effective search plan and will continue tomorrow.’

BBM

The report isn't quite clear, RI may or may not be on location in Spain.
IMO Rescue International operates from their office in Arnhem, gathering all available data from multiple sources, and translate this into actionable insights.
Examples of their work on the website Rescue International

Rescue International is not a reputable "on the ground" agency IMO, certainly they had absolutely nothing to do with the Colombian case.