An urgent search is underway for retired British doctor Tom Doherty, 67, who disappeared on a solo hike in France after telling his family he had fallen. Mr. Doherty messaged his family for help because he had fallen and could not move on Tuesday evening while on a hiking trip in the French Pyrenees. French officials have launched a major search involving helicopters and dogs, as Mr. Doherty’s wife and daughter arrived in the area to assist. Despite being an experienced walker, poor weather conditions have hampered the search efforts.
Tom Doherty missing – latest: Urgent search for British doctor in French Pyrenees after ‘help’ message sent to family
Tom Doherty (right), 67, from St Albans, with his wife Anne Doherty (PA Media)
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An urgent search is underway for retired British doctor who disappeared on a solo hike in France after telling his family he had fallen.
Tom Doherty, 67, messaged his family calling for help because he had “fallen and cannot move” on Tuesday evening.
The dad-of-four had been on a hiking trip in the French Pyrenees when his concerned family lost contact with him and reported the disappearance to authorities.
French officials have launched a major search involving helicopters and dogs, as Mr Doherty’s wife and one of his daughters arrived in the area to help.
Mr Doherty is from St Albans, but has been living in France for the past 10 years following his retirement.
Reportedly an experienced walker, he had set off on his hiking and camping trip on Saturday, and was near Col d’Escots when he sent messages calling for help at 7:07pm.
Much of the search so far has been carried out in poor weather, with foggy conditions hampering the effort.
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Mr Doherty’s daughter says family are “extremely concerned”
Tom Doherty’s daughter, Rachel, said her dad had been active on the group chat during his trip, sending pictures of the scenery in southern France.
“He was sending us a few pictures of the scenery and then on Tuesday afternoon sent us one of clouds coming over the top of a mountain. He said ‘bugger’,” she said.
“The last time we heard from him was Tuesday. He told us he had fallen and couldn’t move. That’s all we’ve had since. The search party found a tent and his car.”
“We’re obviously very worried and extremely concerned for his welfare.”
Rachel has joined the search effort near the Col d’Escots hiking trail.
Alex Croft9 August 2024 13:43
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“Help”: the messages Mr Doherty sent to his family before disappearing
A screenshot has emerged of the messages Mr Doherty sent to his family when he went missing.
“Help”, he said at 7:07pm on Tuesday evening.
“I’ve fallen and cannot [m]ove,” he added, before his concerned family told each other they were struggling to get through to him.
Here is the full exchange:
Last Whatsapp messages from Mr Doherty show him asking for help (Family Handout/PA Wire)
Alex Croft9 August 2024 12:57
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Pictured: Father, grandfather and husband Tom Doherty with his family
Tom Doherty of St Albans with his wife, Anne (Family Handout/PA Wire)The grandfather-of-one has been described as a “legend” of his medical field – infectious diseases (Family Handout/PA Wire)Tom Doherty with his daughter, Rachel, who said the family are “extremely concerned” about his welfare (Family Handout/PA Wire)
Alex Croft9 August 2024 12:29
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How to contact authorities with information
Anyone who may have information on Mr Doherty’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Gendarmerie (French police) directly on 05 61 64 20 17.
His last known location is Col d’Escots in the Ariege region.
Alex Croft9 August 2024 12:12
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Family, friends and colleagues appeal for help on social media
Tom Doherty’s family, friends and former colleagues have taken to X, formerly Twitter, to appeal for help in locating the former malaria specialist.
The UCLH Hospital for Tropical Diseases said they “desperately hope” that their “friend and former colleague” is found:
Former colleague Stephen Moss says Tom Doherty is the brother of a close friend:
Fellow infectious diseases specialist Dr Neil Stone said he is a “legend” of the medical area:
Alex Croft9 August 2024 12:01
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Tom Doherty’s full movements: everything we know
Here’s everything we know so far about Tom Doherty’s movements before he went missing:
Mr Doherty set off from his holiday home near Bergerac on Saturday, and started a hiking trip through the French Pyrenees.
Anne Doherty, his wife, told FranceInfo that she knew her husband had been in Ax-les-Thermes, a ski resort in the Ariege department, near Andorra, earlier in the week.
“We know this because he went hiking and camping. Every day we received photos and messages,” she told the outlet.
The friend of one of Mr Doherty’s daughters initially said in a missing persons appeal that his last known location was Étang du Comté, where authorities were able to geolocate an image he sent from Sunday.
“He is likely to be in/close to Ariège, in the Occitanie region,” she said.
But the search party has located his tent and his car, which was found near Col d’Escots, also in the Ariege region.
But foggy conditions in the last days have made the search – which involves helicopters, dogs, and mountain rescue – difficult.
Alex Croft9 August 2024 11:43
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‘We panicked’ – Mr Doherty’s wife recalls moment they received a call for help
More quotes have emerged from Anne Doherty, the missing doctor’s wife, who said the family panicked when they received a text message calling for help.
At 7:07pm on Tuesday, Mr Doherty sent text messages calling for “help” on Whatsapp, saying he had “fallen and cannot move”.
“We panicked,” Mrs Doherty said of the moment they saw the messages. “When I arrived in France, I hoped that they had found him and that we would be in the hospital.
“But, in the afternoon with the fog, we lost confidence, especially for a 67-year-old man spending a second night alone in these conditions.
“We have a lot of worries, but we have not lost hope.”
Alex Croft9 August 2024 11:20
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Family reveal last images shared by Mr Doherty on group chat
Conditions in the area of the Pyrenees where Mr Doherty went missing have been foggy (Family Handout/PA Wire)The respected doctor had been sending pictures of his hiking trip into the family group chat until he went missing (Family Handout/PA Wire)“On Tuesday afternoon sent us one of clouds coming over the top of a mountain. He said ‘bugger’”, daughter Rachel Doherty said (Family Handout/PA Wire)Mr Doherty was hiking and camping near Col d’Escots (Family Handout/PA Wire)
Alex Croft9 August 2024 10:59
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Foreign Office says it is supporting family of missing man
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office says it is “supporting” the family of a man who has gone missing in France.
“We are supporting the family of a British man missing in France and are in touch with the local authorities,” it said in a statement.
The Independent has contacted the office for any further updates.
Alex Croft9 August 2024 10:46
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‘He didn’t have the necessary equipment’ – Mr Doherty’s wife speaks out
Anne Doherty, wife to missing Tom Doherty, has spoken out about her husband’s disappearance.
Speaking to French outlet FranceInfo, she said Mr Doherty “did not have the complete and necessary equipment” when he went out on his solo hike in the French Pyrenees.
Mrs Doherty also expressed doubts about her husband’s knowledge of the area, saying he “doesn’t know the mountain well”.
She revealed that Mr Doherty had “toured the Pyrenees 15 years ago”, and that although he hikes regularly he usually only goes on “two to three-hour walks”.
Alex Croft9 August 2024 10:35
Read the full story on www.independent.co.uk
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tom-doherty-missing-pyrenees-doctor-france-search-latest-b2593766.html