A British hiker who has been missing for seven days after going for a hike in the Alps, wrote “I lost the path” in his last text message to his friend.
Matthew Hall has not been seen since July 9 when he set off from the B&B Ploncher hotel in Chiavenna, Lombardy, to go for a hike.
The 33-year-old, from Hull, was supposed to fly home on Saturday July 12 but is yet to make contact with his friends and family back home.
His mother, Sara Foster, told the BBC: "I'm very wobbly at the moment, obviously, but I'm really trying to stay positive."
It is understood Matthew was wearing a beige top and had a black backpack when he went missing.
Attempts to contact Matthew have so far been unsuccessful, while some of his friends have travelled to the country to join search efforts.
A final text to his friend read: “I lost the path and stopped to rest.”
The alarm was raised by the hotel’s owners after Matthew did not collect his breakfast for several days, while they initially thought he had left early for hikes.
But on the day of checkout, the owners found his belongings were untouched and that his backpack was not in his room.
Italian media reports suggested Matthew could have travelled towards Savogno or Dasile, starting from Borgonuovo, or towards Pianazzola, Daloo or Lagunch, starting from Chiavenna.
Ms Foster told the BBC that her son sent lots of pictures to her from July 5, when he started his trip, to that following Monday then “it seemed to be a blank”.
She appealed to tourists and locals to keep an eye out for Matthew, adding “we just want him to come home.”
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of a British man missing in Italy and are in contact with the local authorities."
