The best friend of a British hiker who died in the Dolomites has paid tribute to him, stating he had “no words to fully describe” how he was feeling. Samuel Harris, 35, and his friend Aziz Ziriat, 36, were reported missing and failed to check in for their flight home on January 6th. The search for Mr. Ziriat is ongoing.
Mr. Harris’s body was found buried under snow on the Italian mountain range last Wednesday. On Sunday, Mr. Harris’s friend Spencer Jones stated: “To say I am devastated would be an understatement.” Jones wrote on Instagram, “He was an amazing friend of 23 years, ever since our school days.”
More than 140 Sherpa people and mountain rescuers are taking part in the search for Mr. Ziriat. Crews are continuing to probe the snow in an area of about 5,500 square metres, the CNSAS rescue service said, with the help of a dog unit. They have been searching the area after tracking the mobile phones of the two hikers to where their backpacks were found on Wednesday. On Saturday, Mr. Ziriat’s phone cover and card were found.
In a statement on Saturday, Mr. Ziriat’s family expressed their gratitude to the rescuers for their “commitment to finding Aziz,” adding that it had been “outstanding.” They went on to thank friends and family for their support and prayers stating: “We hope, with all our hearts, he will be found and brought home soon.” The search was called off on Sunday as it began to get dark
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