THE body of missing hiker Esther Dingley has been found together with her equipment in the Pyrenees, close to where a bone was discovered two weeks ago, it has been revealed.

Durham-born Esther Dingley, 37, had been walking solo in the mountains near the Spanish and French border and was last seen on November 22.

The discovery was made by Esther’s partner Daniel Colegate, on Monday afternoon following relentless search efforts by him since her disappearance.

A team of forensic specialists along with mountain rescue personnel were dispatched to the site in order to catalogue the scene and recover Esther.

At this stage an accident is the most likely hypothesis, given the location and other early indications. A full investigation is underway to confirm the details surrounding this tragedy.

The family remain "incredibly grateful" for the efforts of the police units involved and their commitment to understanding the exact circumstances of Esther's death.

LBT Global are supporting Daniel and Esther's mother, Ria, as they come to terms with this news.

The charity has urged that Esther’s loved ones are left in peace, and that speculation is kept to a minimum. 

The Northern Echo: Esther Dingley who went missing late last year in the Pyrenees. Picture: LBT Global/PA Wire Esther Dingley who went missing late last year in the Pyrenees. Picture: LBT Global/PA Wire


Ms Dingley, a former junior rower for Great Britain, had been hiking around Europe for six years with Mr Colegate, both having left their jobs in Durham to set out on the trip of a lifetime after health complications.

The pair met at the University of Oxford and lived in County Durham before going travelling in 2014. They wrote a popular travel blog and five short children’s books inspired by their dog Leela and her six puppies, who they rescued while in southern Spain.

The couple had been staying in a farmhouse in southern France when Ms Dingley went hiking alone across the Spanish border at the end of October.

She was last seen on 22 November in the Luchonnais region of south-west France. Her last communication was a selfie of herself on the summit of Pic de Sauvegarde, sent to Colegate, on 22 November.

 

 

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