Found Deceased Spain - Esther Dingley, from UK, missing in the Pyrenees, November 2020 #5

[ZaZara]

Missing Durham hiker Esther Dingley's boyfriend 'searching by himself'

Snowy conditions have left officials unable to resume their search. As they wait, Esther's boyfriend Daniel Colegate has been scouring the less dangerous lower sections for any clues which may aid the operation.

In a heartbreaking admission, he admits: "It is all I can do".

"I have been in the area myself for the past few weeks and have been closely exploring the lower altitude portions of the region, paying particular attention to the woodlands immediately bordering her proposed route, possible alternative trails and also in the valley between her last known location and Benasque village.," he said in a statement

"Although I still find it very hard to understand why Esther was not found in November if she had suffered an accident, a feeling that deepens the more time I spend in the area, I will continue to search because it is all I can do.

"I remain in regular contact with the authorities and I am recording all of my activities using a GPS device, passing this information to the police and search teams to assist their own planning when the time comes."

(...)

"I have met with both the Spanish and French search and rescue units and both have confirmed that they intend to repeat their searches with all possible efforts, but only once the snow has completely cleared from the area in order that their activities can be effective and thorough.

"Unfortunately, due to the cold April weather in the region, the higher altitude portions of Esther's route close to Pic de Sauvegarde remain under a thick blanket of snow."


BBM

 

[PeggyHenry]

Esther Dingley: Missing hiker’s partner resumes mountain hunt | News | The Times

The partner of a British hiker missing in the Pyrenees since last year said as he resumed the search that he was convinced that her disappearance was not an accident.

Esther Dingley, 37, was walking solo near the Spanish and French border while Daniel Colegate, her partner of 19 years, was house-sitting at a French farm. She has not been seen since November 22 and Colegate, 38, does not believe that she suffered an accident or intentionally disappeared.

The search for her was halted by the Spanish and French authorities before Christmas because thick snow was covering Pic de Sauvegarde, the 8,976ft peak where she was last seen. They have not resumed their search but Colegate has spent the past few weeks scouring lower altitudes looking for clues to her disappearance.

On social media he said: “Although I still find it very hard to understand why Esther was not found in November if she had suffered an accident, a feeling that deepens the more time I spend in the area, I will continue to search because it is all I can do.

“I remain in regular contact with the authorities and I am recording all of my activities using a GPS device, passing this information to the police and search teams to assist their own planning when the time comes.”

 

[Grouse]

Esther Dingley: Missing hiker’s partner resumes mountain hunt | News | The Times

As that Times article is behind a paywall thought I'd post link to the BBC one from around the same time Esther Dingley: Missing hiker's boyfriend resumes search alone . The bottom photo, attributed to DC, seems to indicate he is searching around the Refuge de Vensaque, which is presumably accessible from the Hospice de France side, despite looking pretty snowy still.

 

[ZaZara]

My impression is that the MSM simply copied a recent posting of Dan from the Esther & Dan blog and spun a story around it, making it look as if it were an interview.

 

[Grouse]

My impression is that the MSM simply copied a recent posting of Dan from the Esther & Dan blog and spun a story around it, making it look as if it were an interview.

DC's photo at Refuge de Venasque that the BBC published (and which I assume is recent due to the snow) doesn't seem to be included on the Facebook blog. But yes, I agree, other than that it seems basically the same.

 

[RedHaus]

@Grouse, from that pic at Refuge de Vanesque you cited, the large lake (Boum de Vanesque) is still iced over. Not sure if that picture is current (i.e. provided by DC recently) or a stock image the outlets used. Regardless, I still believe a key to resuming the search for ED 'in the mountains' is when that lake is free of ice and safe to explore via drones or divers. ED could very well be resting in peace at the bottom of that deep lake as the result of an accident, suicide or a criminal act by a third party.

Here is the CCTV from the Superbagnères ski resort I often look to for images of the nearby mountain / foothill snowpack: Apical Technologies - Neos 360 - Panoramique HD. Since the sun is starting to set now, recall you can use the little calendar icon in the middle of the image to get historical video from earlier today.

 

[Grouse]

@Grouse, from that pic at Refuge de Vanesque you cited, the large lake (Boum de Vanesque) is still iced over. Not sure if that picture is current (i.e. provided by DC recently) or a stock image the outlets used. Regardless, I still believe a key to resuming the search for ED 'in the mountains' is when that lake is free of ice and safe to explore via drones or divers. ED could very well be resting in peace at the bottom of that deep lake as the result of an accident, suicide or a criminal act by a third party.

Here is the CCTV from the Superbagnères ski resort I often look to for images of the nearby mountain / foothill snowpack: Apical Technologies - Neos 360 - Panoramique HD. Since the sun is starting to set now, recall you can use the little calendar icon in the middle of the image to get historical video from earlier today.

It's not a stock image I don't think @RedHaus - it appears to be specifically credited with Daniel Colegate's name on the image on the BBC website. If it's not recent then it points to a trip to the area of the refuge from a previous winter, and I haven't seen anything in the extensive travel blogs to indicate DC hiked that specific area by the refuge before (nor ED given she wasn't even sure if it had a winter room).

So I think it is by DC and recent, but not really of great relevance here I suppose really, just a small observation I made as we await developments.

Agree about the lake.

 

[BoraBora]

Wow, a woman who disappeared in November in a Utah canyon was found living in a tent - it was her choice to disappear this way. She was found accidentally by a drone. I think she was mentioned in this thread way back? Maybe there is still hope to find Esther.

Woman who vanished in Utah canyon found alive six months on by drone searching for her corpse | Daily Mail Online

 

[RickshawFan]

Wow, a woman who disappeared in November in a Utah canyon was found living in a tent - it was her choice to disappear this way. She was found accidentally by a drone. I think she was mentioned in this thread way back? Maybe there is still hope to find Esther.

Woman who vanished in Utah canyon found alive six months on by drone searching for her corpse | Daily Mail Online

She still had some food left IIRC. ED seems to have had a habit of hardly taking any. Also, depending on where the Utah canyon is, there might not have been too much snow, or there may have been shelter from the canyon walls. Heck, I dunno, but the woman could have pitched a tent inside an ancient cliff dwelling.
ED wouldn’t have survived in that Alpine weather through the winter, unless maybe she was in a cave or shepherd’s hut or something. Her equipment wasn’t up to it.

 

[BoraBora]

She still had some food left IIRC. ED seems to have had a habit of hardly taking any. Also, depending on where the Utah canyon is, there might not have been too much snow, or there may have been shelter from the canyon walls. Heck, I dunno, but the woman could have pitched a tent inside an ancient cliff dwelling.
ED wouldn’t have survived in that Alpine weather through the winter, unless maybe she was in a cave or shepherd’s hut or something. Her equipment wasn’t up to it.

Yes very good points. After reading about this other woman though, I'm now thinking Esther intentionally vanished with someone's help.

 

[10ofRods]

Wow, a woman who disappeared in November in a Utah canyon was found living in a tent - it was her choice to disappear this way. She was found accidentally by a drone. I think she was mentioned in this thread way back? Maybe there is still hope to find Esther.

Woman who vanished in Utah canyon found alive six months on by drone searching for her corpse | Daily Mail Online

There was another one in the news today - and there was that woman who was reported missing in Zion, but was found illegally camping by hikers.

The woman in the article above is the one that was subsisting on moss and algae, IIRC. And bugs and stuff.

 

[eriningles]

There was another one in the news today - and there was that woman who was reported missing in Zion, but was found illegally camping by hikers.

The woman in the article above is the one that was subsisting on moss and algae, IIRC. And bugs and stuff.

Holly Courtier, Zion National park,.. went missing for 12 days whilst fasting and trying to find herself by mentally disconnecting from society,.. she even looks like Esther, ... they say her family raised go fund me money for her mental after care illegally, as they knew what she as doing,,, but pretended she had gone missing,... do you think Esther did the same?

 

[sundaaaay]

I remain convinced that the mystery of ED’s disappearance is related to the one of the lakes. These were on her supposed route, after she last made contact. There was phone signal just beyond the lakes but contact wasn’t made again. The time of year meant that the lakes iced over and couldn’t be searched properly.

I wonder because of the low temperature would a body be well preserved here or not? I assume despite the cold temperature there is still some microbial activity.

 

[RedHaus]

I remain convinced that the mystery of ED’s disappearance is related to the one of the lakes. These were on her supposed route, after she last made contact. There was phone signal just beyond the lakes but contact wasn’t made again. The time of year meant that the lakes iced over and couldn’t be searched properly.

I wonder because of the low temperature would a body be well preserved here or not? I assume despite the cold temperature there is still some microbial activity.

I agree with you @sundaaaay. When it is safe to explore via drones or divers, ED may be found resting in peace at the deep bottom of Boum de Vanesque as the result of an accident, suicide or a criminal act by a third party. And I suppose if she is found in a lake we may never know how she got there.

 

[PeggyHenry]

I agree with you @sundaaaay. When it is safe to explore via drones or divers, ED may be found resting in peace at the deep bottom of Boum de Vanesque as the result of an accident, suicide or a criminal act by a third party. And I suppose if she is found in a lake we may never know how she got there.

Sad but very likely true. Having thought about that though, and remembering Libby Squire, who was found after many days in the River Humber, they were able to determine a lot from her body about how she died.

 

[RickshawFan]

I remain convinced that the mystery of ED’s disappearance is related to the one of the lakes. These were on her supposed route, after she last made contact. There was phone signal just beyond the lakes but contact wasn’t made again. The time of year meant that the lakes iced over and couldn’t be searched properly.

I wonder because of the low temperature would a body be well preserved here or not? I assume despite the cold temperature there is still some microbial activity.

What's your source for the ping beyond the lakes? That wasn't mentioned by LE, and LE searched for miles around, which they likely wouldn't have done if they had a convincing indication what route ED took. IMO

 

[RickshawFan]

Holly Courtier, Zion National park,.. went missing for 12 days whilst fasting and trying to find herself by mentally disconnecting from society,.. she even looks like Esther, ... they say her family raised go fund me money for her mental after care illegally, as they knew what she as doing,,, but pretended she had gone missing,... do you think Esther did the same?

There was a lot that "didn't add up" in the Holly Courtier case, per LE and search teams. In ED's case, by contrast, LE has made ZERO suggestion about anything being not what it seems.

 

[Grouse]

What's your source for the ping beyond the lakes? That wasn't mentioned by LE, and LE searched for miles around, which they likely wouldn't have done if they had a convincing indication what route ED took. IMO

Not an actual detected ping, but signal I think is what's meant here. Didn't DC plot out areas with and without signal when he was out with the search party?

 

[Grouse]

Here is the CCTV from the Superbagnères ski resort I often look to for images of the nearby mountain / foothill snowpack: Apical Technologies - Neos 360 - Panoramique HD.

SBM

It's looking pretty clear up there now, wonder if the search will resume soon?

 

[RickshawFan]

Not an actual detected ping, but signal I think is what's meant here. Didn't DC plot out areas with and without signal when he was out with the search party?

Now I see what you're saying. I can't remember if DC plotted out areas where there was or was not cell reception, but AFAIK those all would have been in France. It's not certain ED ever went in that direction; she might just as easily have gone in the opposite direction. LE is certainly not convinced she went into France.