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

[hitthenick]

On 13/11, she posted on instagram here Login • Instagram, and also the very same thing and pictures directly to their facebook page here Esther & Dan .

On the facebook post, it is timed at 13:54 and tagged a location at Benasque. Therefore, as we know, you can post to instagram and facebook directly from Instagram, it must be safe to assume the timing of the instagram post is identical to the timing of the facebook post.

Interestingly, she mentions in her text on those posts about a " new friend ", 7 days before the last instagram post. What does this mean and who is her new friend or what is the new friend?

Another thing, on Instagram, this is her last post - Login • Instagram dated 21/11 - however, for some reason this post wasn't also posted to their facebook page automatically which is a usual pattern matching both of those pages up. Was it posted then deleted off facebook or just a simple error or she just didn't want to put it on facebook - we would then know an accurate time of the Instagram post if it was posted to FB at the same time.

Other things I want to know.

They went to the alps in the summer, who looked after the dogs for 3 months while they were doing things like The Matterhorn etc?

 

[hitthenick]

Here's the BBC Iplayer replay of Dan's interview on the TV this morning:

It starts at precisely 02:48:35 in from the beginning, that's in Hours, Mins, Seconds.

BBC iPlayer - Breakfast - 02/12/2020

 

[RickshawFan]

British hiker missing in Pyrenees is not in the mountains, rescuers believe | Daily Mail Online

This got my attention:

But after two days without contact, Dan reported Esther missing on November 24, just a day before her trip was due to end, sparking a massive manhunt.

This makes no sense to me. There has to be some other back story. ED was evidently used to be gone for days at a time by herself. The 24th was before she was due to show up anywhere. She was in an area where it's very likely there won't have been cell coverage. I'm not satisfied with the vagueness: Why EXACTLY did DC contact authorities?

 

[Vaccine]

On 13/11, she posted on instagram here Login • Instagram, and also the very same thing and pictures directly to their facebook page here Esther & Dan .

On the facebook post, it is timed at 13:54 and tagged a location at Benasque. Therefore, as we know, you can post to instagram and facebook directly from Instagram, it must be safe to assume the timing of the instagram post is identical to the timing of the facebook post.

Interestingly, she mentions in her text on those posts about a " new friend ", 7 days before the last instagram post. What does this mean and who is her new friend or what is the new friend?

Another thing, on Instagram, this is her last post - Login • Instagram dated 21/11 - however, for some reason this post wasn't also posted to their facebook page automatically which is a usual pattern matching both of those pages up. Was it posted then deleted off facebook or just a simple error or she just didn't want to put it on facebook - we would then know an accurate time of the Instagram post if it was posted to FB at the same time.

Other things I want to know.

They went to the alps in the summer, who looked after the dogs for 3 months while they were doing things like The Matterhorn etc?

I noticed the mention of the new friend too. I wasn't sure if she meant the mountain - if that's what Aneto is?

'A short gentle adventure to a 2000m cabane under face of pic Aneto, new friend,...'

Also its clear she had company on the 15th November when she tried out climbing. So possible that someone there knew her plans and the van she was in?

 

[hitthenick]

This girl is absolutely prolific on social media. Having a few accounts for sure.

Facebook:
There's her personal one here Esther Dingley

The joint facebook page we know about.

Instagram:
Another one called - Healthyadventureswithlove Login • Instagram - this one isn't very active posting but seems to be riddled with quotes but it's her who's running it.

And the website blog.

<modsnip: Not victim friendly>

And one extra one, she knows of "cabanes"?!?! And she'll know of the various outbuildings dotted around the area, I wonder if she is one of those?

 

[Grouse]

On 13/11, she posted on instagram here Login • Instagram, and also the very same thing and pictures directly to their facebook page here Esther & Dan .

On the facebook post, it is timed at 13:54 and tagged a location at Benasque. Therefore, as we know, you can post to instagram and facebook directly from Instagram, it must be safe to assume the timing of the instagram post is identical to the timing of the facebook post.

Interestingly, she mentions in her text on those posts about a " new friend ", 7 days before the last instagram post. What does this mean and who is her new friend or what is the new friend?

If you look at the photos accompanying that post mentioning a new friend on Facebook, she shared a shelter that night with another girl, there's a picture of her sat in front of the fire.

Not sure if this link will work but ...

<modsnip: scontent is not an approved source. Please link directly to the image on the FB page>


Looking at the Facebook page is getting a bit uncomfortable now, there are accusatory comments being posted on there, wouldn't be surprised if it gets taken down if that carries on.

 

[Auntie_Seagull]

I noticed the mention of the new friend too. I wasn't sure if she meant the mountain - if that's what Aneto is?

'A short gentle adventure to a 2000m cabane under face of pic Aneto, new friend,...'

Oh yes, Pico de Aneto is a mountain.

 

[PommyMommy]

This got my attention:

But after two days without contact, Dan reported Esther missing on November 24, just a day before her trip was due to end, sparking a massive manhunt.

This makes no sense to me. There has to be some other back story. ED was evidently used to be gone for days at a time by herself. The 24th was before she was due to show up anywhere. She was in an area where it's very likely there won't have been cell coverage. I'm not satisfied with the vagueness: Why EXACTLY did DC contact authorities?

I noticed the same thing. But, from the same article...

Spanish authorities were alerted on November 25 of her disappearance and alerted their French counterparts the following morning. They found her vehicle on the Spanish side of the border.

British hiker missing in Pyrenees is not in the mountains, rescuers believe | Daily Mail Online

 

[hitthenick]

If you look at the photos accompanying that post mentioning a new friend on Facebook, she shared a shelter that night with another girl, there's a picture of her sat in front of the fire.

Not sure if this link will work but ...

<modsnip: scontent is not an approved source. Please link directly to the image on the FB page>


Looking at the Facebook page is getting a bit uncomfortable now, there are accusatory comments being posted on there, wouldn't be surprised if it gets taken down if that carries on.

Grouse: I did see that photo of the girl in front of the fire, but, I couldn't ascertain if it is Esther or someone else. The girl is wearing specs at the fireplace, I haven't noticed Esther wearing specs previously.

 

[Grouse]

Grouse: I did see that photo of the girl in front of the fire, but, I couldn't ascertain if it is Esther or someone else. The girl is wearing specs at the fireplace, I haven't noticed Esther wearing specs previously.

Yeah, it doesn't look like Esther to me, and if you click the arrow to the next pic there are two sleeping bags in front of the fire. It's probably quite common to pal up with other hikers like that on those kind of trips, especially when you are so travel seasoned from 6 years on the road.

<modsnip: scontent is not an approved source. Please link directly to the image on the FB page>


Edit: a couple of extra thoughts on this
1) sharing a shelter for the night like that side by side with a new friend is *very* irresponsible in terms of Covid

2) what if, after settling down in one of these remote shelters for the night either on her own, or with another female hiker, some male hiker/hikers turn up at the shelter. That could be very uncomfortable and potentially dangerous.

 

[Grouse]

Also, may be of interest - she ran into a male hiker - he gave her a lift somewhere - and it seems to indicate she had told him about her future plans on the trip. Hopefully this is one of the witnesses they have traced, which may have given them more potential info - if not could this be a person that needs to be found.

Yes, hopefully they have checked this one out. It looks like they spent a bit of time together and took photos of each other - guessing this might be him, from a distance

<modsnip: scontent is not an approved source. Please link directly to the image on the FB page>

 

[Ruthbullock]

Yes, hopefully they have checked this one out. It looks like they spent a bit of time together and took photos of each other - guessing this might be him, from a distance

<modsnip: scontent is not an approved source. Please link directly to the image on the FB page>

Oh good find, definitely male.

 

[Grouse]

Oh good find, definitely male.

Red jacket?

 

[dormouse]

Oh good find, definitely male.

Yep. It seems a little strange that she was hiking with another man (just the two of them?) for long enough to take photos like this. I’m not sure how common this is for frequent travellers/hikers but it strikes me as odd. Again, I’m not implying in any way that there was anything wrong with this but I wonder what the circumstances were that led to it, how long they hiked together for, and how much her boyfriend knew about it.

 

[Grouse]

This girl is absolutely prolific on social media. Having a few accounts for sure.

The other idea I have: She is able and knows how easy it is to set up new media accounts, I am wandering if she has got a sneaky sim card or phone even and has decided to just go off grid totally yet keep her eyes on things via an anonymous account.

That's a plausible theory. Maybe she ran off with the other hiker?

 

[Tortoise]

Esther and Dan gave an interview to Wadham College which was posted to youtube on 11th November.

The channel name is WadhamCollegeOxford if you want to look it up, since it is not an accepted source to post here (ie News Media). The title of the video is "Esther Dingley and Dan Colegate #WP GD2020"

It looks to me as if Esther is in the campervan - in response to the news article discussed above which seems to have got that detail wrong. I realise this is also established by one of her blogs posted just above, where she mentioned going back to the camper.

 

[Vaccine]

Yep. It seems a little strange that she was hiking with another man (just the two of them?) for long enough to take photos like this. I’m not sure how common this is for frequent travellers/hikers but it strikes me as odd. Again, I’m not implying in any way that there was anything wrong with this but I wonder what the circumstances were that led to it, how long they hiked together for, and how much her boyfriend knew about it.

I've hiked a bit myself and have walked for stretches of the way with fellow hikers and then parted company. I think its fairly common.

 

[Amonet]

Here's the BBC Iplayer replay of Dan's interview on the TV this morning:

It starts at precisely 02:48:35 in from the beginning, that's in Hours, Mins, Seconds.

BBC iPlayer - Breakfast - 02/12/2020

Could someone please do a transcription of this, including the interviewer questions?

 

[Amonet]

I've hiked a bit myself and have walked for stretches of the way with fellow hikers and then parted company. I think its fairly common.

I've never hiked, but I would think it would also be common to ask someone to take a photo of you when you reach the peak you were aiming for, so I don't see anything odd about that.

I am curious what the end of the trip was going to be? Was it supposed to be a circular route ending up back with the camper van so that she could drive back to Gascony from there?

 

[Vaccine]

Yeah, it doesn't look like Esther to me, and if you click the arrow to the next pic there are two sleeping bags in front of the fire. It's probably quite common to pal up with other hikers like that on those kind of trips, especially when you are so travel seasoned from 6 years on the road.

https://scontent.fman2-2.fna.fbcdn....=e8db588a9dfc3ecfc87691a8947ff632&oe=5FEE0A3A


Edit: a couple of extra thoughts on this
1) sharing a shelter for the night like that side by side with a new friend is *very* irresponsible in terms of Covid

2) what if, after settling down in one of these remote shelters for the night either on her own, or with another female hiker, some male hiker/hikers turn up at the shelter. That could be very uncomfortable and potentially dangerous.

I had assumed the photo was of her. But as you say, I've not seen any pictures of her in glasses. I had assumed it was pretty rare for lone women to be out hiking at the moment.

Refuges are classically available for any walkers male or female. Though in the past I imagine they were more commonly used by men.

In many of her posts she discusses overcoming her fear and learning to be braver. I'm sad that actually this may have put her at more risk as she was on her own in isolated conditions.