A British hiker who went missing in Italy has been found dead in a crevice near where he sent his final messages to friends. Matthew Hall, 33, from Hull, disappeared on July 9 after sending a text saying he was lost. He had been on a four-day hiking break and was staying at a bed and breakfast in Valchiavenna, near Sondrio in northern Italy.
Search teams located Mr Hall's body on Wednesday evening, about 200 metres below the landmark he had photographed and sent to friends. The area was dangerous, requiring a helicopter to recover the body. Drones and dogs were also used in the search. The alarm was raised after Mr Hall failed to check out on July 11, and his room was found with all his personal items except his backpack.
Mr Hall's last text was sent to his friend Jacob White at 1:37pm BST on July 9. In it, he said he thought he had taken a wrong turn and was having a rest. He also shared a selfie at Alpe Daloo, which helped rescuers pinpoint his location. His mother, Sara Foster, had flown out to join the search and has been informed of his death.
Local police confirmed that the body was found in a crevice, and the prosecutor has been informed. The death is being treated as an accident. Mr Hall's body will be repatriated soon. He was described as a competent walker and had arrived in Italy on July 8.
