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

[stmarysmead]

There have been any number of cases on here where similar things were said: experienced hiker, extensive searches, clear path, etc. Paul Miller in Joshua Tree is a recent example.

I would disagree with many of the above statements.
-Darkness was falling, not good hiking conditions. Especially if one is hiking solo.
-Even experienced hikers can make a mistake, stumble, miss a path, etc.
-She communicated frequently, yet he didn't hear from her for two days and said that was not uncommon.
-The hour window presumes everything happened as planned.

If she missed the path in the twilight or couldn't find it again after going off trail for water or bathroom, she could be outside of the area they searched.

If she stumbled and was injured she may not have been able to pitch the tent. It's possible that she is in a sheltered spot and not readily visible.

Her phone could have ran out of battery or been damaged in any number of ways.

I'm going for still on the mountain, and hopefully will be found in the spring.

The oddest statement to me was that they were in touch all the time and that her cell service would only have been unavailable that one night....so they should have been expecting to hear from her sometime on the first day missing. Yet two more days went by before they alerted authorities.

 

[BobbleBob]

I'd also seen it on the front page of the app that morning, I'm in Lancashire and don't follow bloggers or outdoor activities but it was there! So I also suspect it was seen by far more than just local folk.

I also feel like the timing with the article is too much of a coincidence. Something just isn't sitting right with this case and I'd be shocked if an accident was the cause of her disappearance! MOO

I seen the original BBC article on Apple news, and even forwarded it on to a couple of people as it was an interesting one.

I had the same thoughts about the two of them being separated like that.

Before that I’d never heard of them before, and only heard about them again when I seen a news article about Esther being missing and then realised I read about her in that original BBC article.

While I personally believe that it is only a very random coincidence, it still sits a little oddly with me. If I was a betting man my money would still be on her being on the mountain somewhere, and it being an accident when she was alone vs anything more sinister.

Edited to put the right quote in it

 

[cherryautumn]

I seen the original BBC article on Apple news, and even forwarded it on to a couple of people as it was an interesting one.

I had the same thoughts about the two of them being separated like that.

Before that I’d never heard of them before, and only heard about them again when I seen a news article about Esther being missing and then realised I read about her in that original BBC article.

While I personally believe that it is only a very random coincidence, it still sits a little oddly with me. If I was a betting man my money would still be on her being on the mountain somewhere, and it being an accident when she was alone vs anything more sinister.

I deleted my original comment because I thought it might sound insensitive/accusatory, I'm not neurotypical and struggle to get the right 'empathetic tone' when posting on forums like this so I'm more cautious about posting here now.

But yes, your post is exactly my own situation..feeling like something wasn't right with their relationship when I first saw the article show up on my BBC news app, then reading about a woman who went missing and realising it was the same couple I had read about in the original article.
I just thought it was my autism making me not fully understand the social aspects of the situation. Reading what the boyfriend/family said about online speculation I thought it best to delete but was just explaining my own, probably misplaced, judgy gut feeling, when I read that original article even before she went missing.

That original article would have been read by thousands, if not millions, of people as it showed up as one of their top stories on their news app/widget.

In what is an already awful situation that she's missing I can imagine it would be much worse for her loved ones if it turns out she came to harm from another person, like someone she hitched a ride with, or from suicide.

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

The oddest statement to me was that they were in touch all the time and that her cell service would only have been unavailable that one night....so they should have been expecting to hear from her sometime on the first day missing. Yet two more days went by before they alerted authorities.

Yes, the original statements were a bit different.

UK woman who has travelled Europe for six years goes missing in Pyrenees

“She always tried to keep in touch but sometimes on her hikes was out of contact for a couple of days,” he said.

 

[Officer Dibble]

The mayor made a statement that was reported further back.

I must have forgotten that. Thank you.

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

This was posted before, I'm reposting in case anyone missed it or didn't bother look at it.

sport passion philippe: Randonnée Pic de Sauvegarde (2738m)

There are pictures as well as a video. The video in particular I found helpful in getting a feel for what the trail and landscape is actually like.

I would not want to be hiking there as it was getting dark. (Parts would be scary even in broad daylight.)

 

[patCee]

There have been any number of cases on here where similar things were said: experienced hiker, extensive searches, clear path, etc. Paul Miller in Joshua Tree is a recent example.

I would disagree with many of the above statements.
-Darkness was falling, not good hiking conditions. Especially if one is hiking solo.
-Even experienced hikers can make a mistake, stumble, miss a path, etc.
-She communicated frequently, yet he didn't hear from her for two days and said that was not uncommon.
-The hour window presumes everything happened as planned.

If she missed the path in the twilight or couldn't find it again after going off trail for water or bathroom, she could be outside of the area they searched.

If she stumbled and was injured she may not have been able to pitch the tent. It's possible that she is in a sheltered spot and not readily visible.

Her phone could have ran out of battery or been damaged in any number of ways.

I'm going for still on the mountain, and hopefully will be found in the spring.

I tend to lean to your way of thinking. I'm pretty sure DC also knows knows that outcome is highly possible, but understandably it's too distressing for him to acknowledge it out loud at this stage. Plus he hopes the searches will continue, and that more information is forthcoming. It's also possible that the authorities have more information than they are revealing at this stage.

 

[Officer Dibble]

Speaking exclusively to the Mail this week, Jose Antonio Ballarin - who gave Ms Dingley a lift on October 21 - said Esther discussed her route with him, and it was different from the one she was believed to have been planning.

Under Spain's lockdown rules, the retired businessman shouldn't have offered a lift to a stranger at all. But something about the sight of the 37-year-old woman carrying a large khaki backpack made him pull over, he said.

Esther, who often took lifts on hiking trips, jumped in and travelled with the 71-year-old and his grandson for five miles, chatting about her plans until they reached the footpath leading to the Pico Salvaguardia, or 'safeguard peak'.

Esther Dingley: Police believe missing British hiker went missing voluntarily | Daily Mail Online

Are you saying the businessman or his grandson could have given her Covid and she has become unwell with it - maybe she extended her hike then how ever many days later she went down with Covid but had also run out of battery power for mobile?

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

Are you saying the businessman or his grandson could have given her Covid and she has become unwell with it - maybe she extended her hike then how ever many days later she went down with Covid but had also run out of battery power for mobile?

I don't think covid has been brought up, but I think it is definitely plausible she could have picked it up on her travels. What a nightmare... On a mountain in the middle of nowhere and you get severely ill. A high fever can easily lead to dehydration and poor decisions, not to mention exhaustion, difficulty breathing when you're already at a higher altitude with lower oxygen levels.

 

[Sarahlou]

I just don't buy that this was a voluntary disappearance. I think accident is most likely. But it's certainly a puzzling case.

 

[Grouse]

Not important? How very dare you

(and it’s wear like weir or we’re)

Good point though, it would be of mild interest perhaps to people in the Durham area where they’re from and other mountain hikers. It’s not the most exciting of world travelling blogs - mountain after mountain after mountain. Quite “niche”. Still, I expect they started it to keep in touch with friends, family and like minded bloggers, rather than going for sponsorship and likes.

It may not have been of international interest but it certainly was at national level. It was linked on the main BBC site, not just hidden in the local news for Durham area.

I don't live in that area but I read the story with great interest (and a tad of envy I must admit) on the 22nd. I'd say that was the reason the story of her going missing later grabbed my attention so much, and indeed ended up with me registering on Websleuths.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

It may not have been of international interest but it certainly was at national level. It was linked on the main BBC site, not just hidden in the local news for Durham area.

I don't live in that area but I read the story with great interest (and a tad of envy I must admit) on the 22nd. I'd say that was only the reason the story of her going missing later grabbed my attention so much, and indeed ended up with me registering on Websleuths.

I meant that the blog itself wouldn’t (and didn’t) have a plethora of followers, as it’s quite niche. I also saw the article before I knew Esther was missing.

 

[Grouse]

I think it's possible that the invisible photographer from Nov 19 suggested they meet again on Nov 21-22. Even though the Nov 22 olympic athlete saw no one else ascending the mountain, that doesn't mean someone wasn't ascending on the French side of the border.

Snipped for focus and BBM - I agree, that is a point I have been making, someone could easily have been going up from that side that the skier wit would not have been aware of.

 

[Grouse]

I totally agree, but she may have gone willingly if she recognised the person, or was cold or had no water or anything else - and a lift was being offered. She made a similar decision on 19th November with the other hiker she met.

She may have, but I don't see how she would come to have been in such a position like that as to have to abandon the loop trek, which was to be her last outing before heading back to Dan. She'd made loads of these multi day trips over the previous month, why would she set out on the finale without enough water?

Also the weather was good (unlike 19th)so no reason to change her plans based on that.

 

[Grouse]

I meant that the blog itself wouldn’t (and didn’t) have a plethora of followers, as it’s quite niche. I also saw the article before I knew Esther was missing.

Ah OK, I thought you meant the BBC article, which was linked to in the post you were responding to.

 

[Davidovsky]

Does Dan Colegate have an alibi for the period between the 22nd (date of last contact) and the 25th (date of missing person report)?
Esther told Ballerin that she was heading to Bagneres de Luchon, which is only 40 minutes drive from Arreau. Obviously the least distressing outcomes are being considered first, but as there has been no progress I'm surprised if there has been no enquiry about this.
(This is my first post here - I'm not sure of the etiquette... are we allowed to address all possibilities frankly?)

 

[Grouse]

Does Dan Colegate have an alibi for the period between the 22nd (date of last contact) and the 25th (date of missing person report)?
Esther told Ballerin that she was heading to Bagneres de Luchon, which is only 40 minutes drive from Arreau. Obviously the least distressing outcomes are being considered first, but as there has been no progress I'm surprised if there has been no enquiry about this.
(This is my first post here - I'm not sure of the etiquette... are we allowed to address all possibilities frankly?)

Hi. Yes I believe his movements are fully accounted for.

 

[Grouse]

But yes, your post is exactly my own situation..feeling like something wasn't right with their relationship when I first saw the article show up on my BBC news app, then reading about a woman who went missing and realising it was the same couple I had read about in the original article.

It's interesting if you got that vibe from the article, before her going missing. I honestly didn't get that at all. I recall having a slight feeling of "might be too good to be true" but I put that down to a little bit of envy the article evoked.

 

[patCee]

Snipped for focus and BBM - I agree, that is a point I have been making, someone could easily have been going up from that side that the skier wit would not have been aware of.

Whatever the different views about their blog, both ED and DC are intelligent, realistic people who are, experienced people in life, and in particular hiking. I do not believe they are naive. I note his objection to being referred to as the 'boyfriend', that to him, especially at this time, could imply they are less of a couple, when they are long term life partners and he has a strong emotional investment in this situation. With this in mind I find it interesting that he is dismissing the more obvious fates that could have befallen ED. So I'm wondering what more information they have that is not being released, as it could interfere with the official investigations.

 

[Satchie]

Whatever the different views about their blog, both ED and DC are intelligent, realistic people who are, experienced people in life, and in particular hiking. I do not believe they are naive. I note his objection to being referred to as the 'boyfriend', that to him, especially at this time, could imply they are less of a couple, when they are long term life partners and he has a strong emotional investment in this situation. With this in mind I find it interesting that he is dismissing the more obvious fates that could have befallen ED. So I'm wondering what more information they have that is not being released, and might interfere with the official investigations.

I think it's understandable that someone in that situation is struggling with intense emotions of fear and loss, and cannot be in a position to clinically and coldly examine the facts like an outsider can.