Found Deceased Spain - Esther Dingley, from UK, missing in the Pyrenees, November 2020 #1

[Huffbuff]

In case it’s helpful they posted simultaneously on Instagram.

As has already been noted up thread Esther stopped posting on Facebook on the 19th but still posted blog updates on Instagram until the 21st.

(Presumably) Dan carried on posting on Facebook after the 19th about books for sale and the BBC interview etc.

He then posted on Facebook on the 28th that Esther was missing.

Esther & Dan - Adventuring Together - Life, Love, Health & Travel

Once you are signed into Instagram the second link takes you to their daily photo gallery and Esther’s daily commentary.

Login • Instagram

 

[ZaZara]

Bringing this forward because I found a list of the areas searched in addition to around Pico Salvaguardia, the Venasque refuge & originally planned route.

It’s from the Spanish news outlet La Vanguardia’s 4/12 edition
https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20201203/49859275476/esther-dingley-dan-colegate-benasque-pirineo-desaparicion-montana-accidente.html


“After a week of intense search, yesterday, an operation made up of specialists from the mountain rescue and intervention groups of the Civil Guard of Benasque, Boltaña, Huesca and Jaca, as well as the Huesca Air Unit, again scanned extensive areas of the Pyrenees trying to find a trace of the woman without success. The teams covered different areas: the Salenques crest, the Coronas refuge, the Literola valley, the Perdiguero peak and the Estós valley, reported the Huesca commandant. Troops based in Vielha, as well as the Val d'Aran firefighters, also joined in to search the Catalan side. Nor is it ruled out that she changed her initial plans and followed another itinerary.”

“Tras una semana de intensa búsqueda, ayer, un operativo integrado por especialistas de los grupos de rescate e intervención en montaña de la Guardia Civil de Benasque, Boltaña, Huesca y Jaca, además de además de la Unidad Aérea de Huesca, volvieron a rastrear amplias zonas del Pirineo intentando dar sin éxito con algún rastro de la mujer. Los equipos se repartieron por distintas áreas: la cresta de Salenques, el refugio Coronas, el valle de Literola, el pico Perdiguero y el valle de Estós, informaron en la Comandacia de Huesca. También se sumaron efectivos con base en Vielha, así como de los bomberos de la Val d’Aran, para explorar la parte catalana. Tampoco se descarta que cambiara sus planes iniciales y siguiera otro itinerario.”

I’ve included the original Spanish quote because my Spanish isn’t great & my translation is aided by Google (which I don’t always trust).

I’ve been having a look at some of the terrain on maps & photos and sadly I can see plenty of places for an accident to occur and for a body not to be easily found.

So many units and experts were involved in the searches!

My idea is that initially, the search was for a living person who had wandered off and maybe gotten lost. She had not gone missing for long at that time, so this was a distinct possibility. Searchers would be looking for her or for a landmark like her tent.

When her partner hiked the area where Esther would have been walking, he noticed that the network is actually good in many places. That was, in fact, very telling. Esther was not in a location where she had access to the internet, because in that case she would have raised the alarm. She was not lost and wandering ~ she would know how to solve that by training anyway.

The results of both searches plus the fact that she did not turn up of her own account lead to the conclusion that something has happened to Esther, she hasn't been at the refuge where she planned to go and where she would have arrived within a few hours from the top of the Salvaguardia.

IMHO she stuck to her plan, and whatever happened to her, happened between the top of the mountain and the refuge, not in a different area. When the locals suggest that she may have gone into the water and drowned, that sadly is a likely option.

 

[Auntie_Seagull]

So many units and experts were involved in the searches!

My idea is that initially, the search was for a living person who had wandered off and maybe gotten lost. She had not gone missing for long at that time, so this was a distinct possibility. Searchers would be looking for her or for a landmark like her tent.

That's my impression too.

When her partner hiked the area where Esther would have been walking, he noticed that the network is actually good in many places. That was, in fact, very telling. Esther was not in a location where she had access to the internet, because in that case she would have raised the alarm. She was not lost and wandering ~ she would know how to solve that by training anyway.

Or her phone got destroyed. Like, during a fall or sth like that. Or the battery died much faster than Esther expected (happens often with old and worn out batteries).

IMHO she stuck to her plan, and whatever happened to her, happened between the top of the mountain and the refuge, not in a different area. When the locals suggest that she may have gone into the water and drowned, that sadly is a likely option.

As much as I'd want to see Esther alive and well, I have to agree with this conclusion.

 

[PeggyHenry]

I agree they do solo trips - but what I'm trying to say is that it is not a 'regular' occurrence (every two months etc) - so it is likely to be when one of them feels somewhat in need of 'head space'. What I'm emphasising is that if Esther did a solo trip it is likely to be because she needed some 'solo time'. If someone needs 'time away' then it is maybe because they are feeling a little fed up and want to clear their head. This implies that they are not at their best. I'm not making a big deal out of it. If they were both getting along like a house on fire then it is unlikely that one of them would say - 'going off next week for a month'. Simple as that. <modsnip>

I have read that Captain Bordinaro said, regarding Dan, ‘He has cooperated fully with both forces and continues to do so.’ - but I haven't see that he had been 'cleared' from investigation. I will do more research to satisfy myself.

Also, I had better try and post a little more sensitively rather than wish to cause offence. Happy to be pointed in the right direction <modsnip>

 

[Mountaingazer]

I agree they do solo trips - but what I'm trying to say is that it is not a 'regular' occurrence (every two months etc) - so it is likely to be when one of them feels somewhat in need of 'head space'. What I'm emphasising is that if Esther did a solo trip it is likely to be because she needed some 'solo time'. If someone needs 'time away' then it is maybe because they are feeling a little fed up and want to clear their head. This implies that they are not at their best. I'm not making a big deal out of it. If they were both getting along like a house on fire then it is unlikely that one of them would say - 'going off next week for a month'. <modsnip>
I have read that Captain Bordinaro said, regarding Dan, ‘He has cooperated fully with both forces and continues to do so.’ - but I haven't see that he had been 'cleared' from investigation. I will do more research to satisfy myself.

Also, I had better try and post a little more sensitively rather than wish to cause offence. Happy to be pointed in the right direction <modsnip>

"
Captaine Jean-Marc Bordinaro, leading the operations, said: “It’s impossible to be kidnapped on the mountain. You’re not going to hide her in a rucksack. There would have to be a camping car or something.”

He confirmed Esther’s partner Dan is not a suspect – adding that his “movements are covered”.

Family of Brit hiker missing in Pyrenees fear she may have been kidnapped

 

[Sjm_qc]

Randonneuse portée disparue dans les Pyrénées : la presse britannique s'emballe sur la thèse de l'ours

The above article was posted yesterday (7th December) and discusses some of the “theories” which have appeared in the British Press.

A “source close to the investigation” (on the French side of the border) is quoted as saying the bear attack speculation is absurd.

The same source is also quoted as saying that the kidnapping hypothesis doesn’t hold up either.

The article states that there are only three viable hypotheses: an accident (she could have fallen into a crevas/ravine), a voluntary disappearance, or a criminal act.

I can translate more if people wish, but those are the salient points.

 

[patCee]

Apparently the area is popular for hikes during the summer months, and some consider it relatively safe with good paths and trails. Nevertheless a local mayor has reported that there are 7 or 8 fatalities every year, and is not surprised someone else has gone missing. He advises not to ever hike in the mountains alone.
Fears Mount That Missing Hiker Esther Dingley Has Fallen

 

[Auntie Cipation]

My sense of her going off on the solo trip, based on the information provided on this thread so far, is not that she specifically wanted to be alone but rather that she strongly wanted to be hiking/up in the mountains, and given that they were housesitting, they couldn't both go and leave the house unattended, so the trip was necessarily a solo trip for that reason, not with the 'solo' aspect as the point.

MOO

 

[Grouse]

This is The Fail mixing things up & getting them wrong

Mystery hiker who took the (full length) photo & gave her a lift was on the 19th.

On the 22nd she was seen by the Olympic skier witness on her way up Salvaguardia alone. The pic she sent her partner that day was a selfie (the same as or a very similar one she took on the 21st).

(on the 22nd she also spoke to her father and her partner).

If you go to her IG (Estheranddan), you can figure out which photos were taken/posted when.

I've despaired at times at the way the UK tabloid press has reported on this. People on this forum have been able to put together better timelines from the information available on SM than supposedly professional reporters have. IMO.

 

[Grouse]

From the link - posting the map with dates. I've been confused about the dates. I thought the mystery photographer was Nov 19, but this map suggests that he was with her on Nov 22, the same day that she was seen alone by the couple who were descending the summit.

Is it correct that her last contact with anyone was when she was with the mystery photographer where she decided to go with him to get a lift?

You are right to be confused - the timelines/routes on that picture are plain wrong. We know for example from Esther's Facebook posts that on 19th after the lift from the hiker, she went back to the "warmth" of the campervan in Benasque, not from points 3 to 4.

 

[Ontario Mom]

Thread is now re-opened.

Please remember to post accoring to the rules, and if there is a post in violation, just use the REPORT function, and let the mods take care of it.

Do not respond and do not get into a bickering match on the forum.

Report, Scroll & Roll folks. Much appreciated.

 

[j_in_c]

Randonneuse portée disparue dans les Pyrénées : la presse britannique s'emballe sur la thèse de l'ours

The above article was posted yesterday (7th December) and discusses some of the “theories” which have appeared in the British Press.

A “source close to the investigation” (on the French side of the border) is quoted as saying the bear attack speculation is absurd.

The same source is also quoted as saying that the kidnapping hypothesis doesn’t hold up either.

The article states that there are only three viable hypotheses: an accident (she could have fallen into a crevas/ravine), a voluntary disappearance, or a criminal act.

I can translate more if people wish, but those are the salient points.

Thanks for the summary and I agree 100% with those conclusions.

I enjoyed reading about the brown bear reintroduction in the Pyrenees
Tracking brown bears in the Pyrenees | Green Adventures

However, there is no chance that there was an animal attack that left no signs for Search & Rescue.

I also think that the only way a criminal act is involved is that Esther returned to a trailhead/road (for any number of reasons) instead of her planned hiking circuit and then something happened. The idea of a killer on the trail who then can hide a body + all the gear is just too unlikely for me to consider.

I would still put the odds at 95% that she is in the wilderness, yet to be found due to an accident. I know they have excellent SAR and lots of resources, but it is a huge challenge to find a missing hiker in the mountains, especially with a minimal digital trail.

 

[PeggyHenry]

Just bringing an update as reported in the DM online.

Bordinaro told MailOnline: ‘We interviewed Daniel Colegate at the farmhouse where he is living in the Gers department on Monday.

‘We want to investigate all possibilities. We do not rule any line of inquiry.
‘But it does not seem probable that Esther suffered an accident, and it is not credible that she was eaten by a bear or that she has fallen into a lake.
‘It appears that their lives together were not as happy as the images posted on social media suggest.

‘However I would like to stress that we interviewed Mr Colegate as a witness not as a suspect.’

‘We believe that her disappearance is either the result of a voluntary act, or as a result of someone else’s actions.

‘We went to see Mr Colegate so that we could go through social media with him – messages, etc.

 

[otto]

So many units and experts were involved in the searches!

My idea is that initially, the search was for a living person who had wandered off and maybe gotten lost. She had not gone missing for long at that time, so this was a distinct possibility. Searchers would be looking for her or for a landmark like her tent.

When her partner hiked the area where Esther would have been walking, he noticed that the network is actually good in many places. That was, in fact, very telling. Esther was not in a location where she had access to the internet, because in that case she would have raised the alarm. She was not lost and wandering ~ she would know how to solve that by training anyway.

The results of both searches plus the fact that she did not turn up of her own account lead to the conclusion that something has happened to Esther, she hasn't been at the refuge where she planned to go and where she would have arrived within a few hours from the top of the Salvaguardia.

IMHO she stuck to her plan, and whatever happened to her, happened between the top of the mountain and the refuge, not in a different area. When the locals suggest that she may have gone into the water and drowned, that sadly is a likely option.

Ignoring the travel time, is it true that she hiked from Benasque to Pic de Sauvegarde, and intended to stay at Refugio De Pescodores or at Refugio De Estos? Do we know which refugio she was going to?

 

[otto]

Apparently the area is popular for hikes during the summer months, and some consider it relatively safe with good paths and trails. Nevertheless a local mayor has reported that there are 7 or 8 fatalities every year, and is not surprised someone else has gone missing. He advises not to ever hike in the mountains alone.
Fears Mount That Missing Hiker Esther Dingley Has Fallen

Not only is it risky to hike alone, but Winter weather is an unpredictable factor. Black ice looks like normal ground but is dangerous slippery.

 

[Tortoise]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

...investigating officer Capitaine Bordinaro, who is leading the French part of the joint Franco-Spanish investigation, revealed that the couple’s life was ‘not as idyllic as the images posted on social media suggest’ following an interview with Ms Dingley's partner.

‘We went to see Mr Colegate so that we could go through social media with him – messages, etc.

‘It appears that their lives together were not as happy as the images posted on social media suggest.

Police reveal missing British hiker's domestic life 'was not as idyllic as social media suggested' | Daily Mail Online

It's not merely based on the witness in the shop.

 

[otto]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

Lots of parking on this side of the town.

 

[Grouse]

...investigating officer Capitaine Bordinaro, who is leading the French part of the joint Franco-Spanish investigation, revealed that the couple’s life was ‘not as idyllic as the images posted on social media suggest’ following an interview with Ms Dingley's partner.

‘We went to see Mr Colegate so that we could go through social media with him – messages, etc.

‘It appears that their lives together were not as happy as the images posted on social media suggest.

Police reveal missing British hiker's domestic life 'was not as idyllic as social media suggested' | Daily Mail Online

It's not merely based on the witness in the shop.

Fair point - that whole site renders strangely in my browser and that paragraph was obscured behind a "we pay cash for videos" advert. I tried on a different browser and could see it (as a UK resident who is well acquainted with the "Daily Fail " I'll still take it with a pinch of salt though )

 

[Sjm_qc]

Ignoring the travel time, is it true that she hiked from Benasque to Pic de Sauvegarde, and intended to stay at Refugio De Pescodores or at Refugio De Estos? Do we know which refugio she was going to?

View attachment 274892

On the 22nd she was seen (by independent witnesses) on the trail ascending towards Pic de Sauvegarde (Salvaguardia). All reports allege/suggest that she intended to stay at Refugio (Refuge) de Vanesque. I don’t know where you get the other refugios from regarding her supposed route?

 

[GinaSeikwa]

I need clarification on where her campervan was found. She had been parking it in a parking lot in the town of Benasque.
But surely she didn’t start her hike from the campervan at the parking lot?
She would have driven it up further to start her hike at the trailhead no? Why walk all the way through town and on the shoulder of the road to start your hike when you can easily save time and effort and drive there?
I’m wondering now if she wasn’t abducted after returning from Pic de Sauvegarde and was closer to town. Maybe she decided to return to town for some reason and descended with that in mind instead of heading to the refuge for the night? Or she was taken by force from the trail.

If her van was found back at the parking lot but she was known to have driven it out to start her hike then definitely something happened closer to town. I feel the campervan/ parking area activities hold a vital clue. Was her van found where she last left it?