The family of a retired British doctor have issued an urgent appeal for help after he went missing in the French Pyrenees almost 48 hours ago. Tom Doherty, 67, from St Albans, was hiking and camping near Col d’Escots when his family lost contact with him on Tuesday evening, shortly after he sent messages saying he had fallen and could not move.
His daughter, Rachel Doherty, said the family last heard from her father just after 7pm on 6 August via WhatsApp. He had set off on the hike on 3 August. She said he had been sending photographs of the scenery, then sent one of clouds coming over a mountain. They urged him to come down, but he replied that he had fallen and could not move. A search party has recovered his tent and car.
Mr Doherty is described as an avid and experienced walker. He is a retired consultant in tropical medicine, having specialised in malaria and worked around the world. Since retiring almost a decade ago, he has spent most of his time in France. His wife and one of his four daughters have been at his last known location since Wednesday morning, and Rachel is now heading to France to join the search.
An appeal was also posted on the climbing website UKClimbing by Clare Carlile, a friend of one of Mr Doherty’s daughters. She said he was likely to be in or close to Ariège, in the Occitanie region, with his last known location at Étang du Comté. She added that Mr Doherty had sent a message saying he was somewhere near Ax-Les-Thermes and asked for help in working out his direction of travel from photographs he had sent.
A search involving dogs and helicopters is under way. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been approached for comment.
