Esther Dingley: Body of British hiker found in the Pyrenees by her partner
The body of British hiker Esther Dingley, who went missing in the Pyrenees last November, has been found by her partner.
The LBT Global charity said the 37-year-old's body and equipment were found together by Daniel Colegate on Monday afternoon. The find was close to where a bone was discovered two weeks ago.
The group said they are treating her death as an accident, given where her body and belongings were found.
A statement said: “A team of forensic specialists along with mountain rescue personnel were dispatched to the site in order to catalogue the scene and recover Esther.
“At this stage an accident is the most likely hypothesis, given the location and other early indications. A full investigation is under way to confirm the details surrounding this tragedy.
“The family remain incredibly grateful for the efforts of the police units involved and their commitment to understanding the exact circumstances of Esther’s death.”
Ms Dingley, originally from Durham, had been walking solo in the mountains near the Spanish and French border and was last seen on November 22.
At the end of July the bone that had been found in the mountain range was identified as belonging to Ms Dingley.
The discovery of Ms Dingley's body brings to an end an extensive search carried out by French and Spanish authorities that also involved several charities.
Mr Colegate said at the time of her disappearance he was “shattered” and “broken.”
The couple, who were together for 19 years, left behind jobs and a flat in Durham in 2014 to travel the continent in a mobile home, documenting their travels in a blog.Mr Colegate said they had finished a 1000-mile hike together in the summer of 2020 and due to his health issues he decided to take a longer break from hiking than Ms Dingley who planned the solo trip for the coming autumn.
He said: “That was why she went touring solo; it was pre-planned and agreed upon. It was a non-event for us. We had done it before."