A desperate search is underway for missing British travel influencer Rachel Kerr after she vanished in Morocco, leaving friends and family fearing the worst. The 31-year-old from Scotland has not been in contact since checking out of her hotel in Agadir on Saturday, with her phone now switched off. Her family has issued an urgent appeal for information, as the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed it is supporting efforts to locate her.
Friend Raises Alarm
Now, a close friend has spoken of her growing alarm, revealing the moment she realised something was seriously wrong. Speaking to the Mirror, Juliana Elgin, 28, says: "Rachel is a good friend of mine. We've been friends for a long time. The last time we had proper contact was over a month ago, as we both have very busy lives, but we've always stayed connected in our own way."
However, Juliana said alarm bells quickly began to ring when Rachel's usual online presence suddenly stopped. "I started to feel that something wasn't right quite early on," she explains. "Rachel suddenly became less and less active on social media, which is completely unlike her. I tried calling her, but her phone was switched off. I reached out to a mutual friend who is in contact with her family, and that's when it became clear that no one had been able to reach her."
Initially, she tried to rationalise the silence, believing her friend may simply have needed time away. "At first, I tried to reassure myself that she might just need space or time offline, especially as she had been dealing with some emotional challenges," she says. "But very quickly that feeling turned into fear, because Rachel wouldn't just disappear - especially not while alone in a foreign country."
Last Known Movements
Rachel has not been seen since leaving SMART Nightclub in the coastal resort of Agadir at around 5am on Saturday. Her mobile has remained switched off ever since, and relatives have not heard from her. Hours before she vanished, the content creator from Dunblane had checked out of the Caribbean Village hotel after reportedly running out of funds.
Writing on social media, her cousin Claire Hill said yesterday: "We're very concerned for her welfare and are appealing for any information on her whereabouts or who she might be in contact with out there."
Rachel had travelled to Morocco for work as a travel influencer, a destination she knew well and had visited before. "It's a place she was comfortable and confident being in," Juliana adds.
Character and Concern
Describing her friend, Juliana painted a picture of a vibrant and sociable woman whose disappearance is entirely out of character. Rachel has more than 9,000 followers on Instagram and 6,000 Facebook followers. "Rachel is incredibly kind, outgoing and full of life. She's a ray of sunshine," she says. "She has a way of bringing light to everyone around her. Being out of reach is completely unlike her, which is why this situation is so deeply concerning."
While declining to share details of their last private conversations, she insisted there had been no warning signs. "There was nothing in our last exchange that gave me any reason to worry. We always supported each other, and I made sure she knew she could come to me with anything."
As the search continues, Juliana said the uncertainty has taken a heavy emotional toll. "I am extremely worried. Not knowing where she is or what has happened to her is unbearable. It's constantly on my mind, and it's been difficult to sleep or focus on anything else," she says. "Me, her friends and family just want answers - and more than anything, we all want her to be found safe."
Rachel's family have urged anyone with information about her whereabouts in Morocco to come forward as the urgent search continues. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of a British woman who is missing in Morocco."
