FAMILY AGONY
Missing Brit’s girlfriend reveals final text before silence as last video shows plans to hike Italian mountain with pal
Watch the video of one of the missing Brit's Aziz preparing to hike the mountain range
THE girlfriend of one of the missing Brit's in the Italian Dolomites has revealed his final text to her.
A desperate search and rescue mission has been launched for Aziz Ziriat, 36, and Samuel Harris, 35, from London, who have been missing since New Year's Day after they went on a mountain hike.
5
5
5
5
The pair were last seen and heard from a week ago, after sending messages home from the Italian Dolomites.
Fears for their safety grew after they missed their flight home on 6 January.
The friends were last known to be near a hut called Casina Dosson which is near the town Tione Di Trento, near Riva Del Garda, on Lake Garda.
Rebecca Dimmock, the girlfriend of Aziz, called the pair "experienced hikers" but revealed she last spoke to her boyfriend around 10 am on New Year's Day, according to reports.
read more on world news
Rebecca revealed Aziz's final messages to her before the hiker disappeared.
Rebecca said: "He sent some photos of the mountains and a couple of himself.
"He said his phone was about to die but he would write back to me properly soon."
Rebecca also shared that the pals were planning to go between huts in the mountain range on their New Year's hike.
Most read in The Sun
She added: "I know they made it to the hut, and they were drinking red wine, but he said it was freezing."
Rebecca revealed that her messages stopped going through to him as it is believed the pair's phones died or lost service.
And video shared with The Telegraph shows Aziz preparing to hike the mountain range on New Year's Day with Sam.
In the clip, he films the mountain range he plans to scale as well as a stone shelter where the friends are believed to have stayed overnight.
He says: "Happy New Year! Woken up to some delightful sunshine, blue skies.
"There has not been a cloud in the sky since we got here, which is slightly unnerving but also quite jokes."
He adds: "I want to attack this today, get up into the some of the 3,000 bits which are up yonder."
The camera then pans to the mountain lodge, and Aziz says: "We just spent the night in this little bivacco [mountain shelter], absolute quality little set-up, a World War One bunker, it is a bit icy, I am only wearing my flip flops.
"Looking forward to a day scampering, we are not taking our packs today, for the last two days lugging up this God-forsaken valley, another day frolicking before schlepping over to the next valley."
Aziz is said to have sent various messages and pictures home after the footage was taken.
A mass search for the friends has encountered difficulties due to heavy snowfall in recent days, according to local authorities.
Italian rescue teams revealed the harsh weather has made reaching the area increasingly difficult.
Authorities added that it was unusual for hikers in the area to go missing this time of year.
Several of Sam and Aziz's friends are understood to have flown from the UK to help with the frantic search.
Crystal Palace F.C. has appealed for information to help find the duo as one of the friends works for the club.
Aziz works for the Premier League club's official Palace For Life charity.
A desperate post from Palace on X said: "A member of the Palace For Life staff and his friend have been missing since 1st January in the Dolomites.
"If anyone knows the area, is able to support further or has any information that will help, please call 999 and reference CAD 0197/07 Jan25."
Saf Suleyman, the chief executive of Microsoft’s AI division, also issued a desperate appeal on LinkedIn on Tuesday.
5
He said: "I urgently need your help! Two of my friends have gone missing whilst hiking in the Dolomites.
"We know they were near Casina Dosson Tione Di Trento, near Riva Del Garda, on Lake Garda."
Saf also told The BBC that he would be one of the friends flying out to Italy to help with the frantic search.
He said: "We are going to leave soon and fly to Italy and be on the ground and coordinate search efforts.
"We're not going to be going up the mountain, we want to be in the town coordinating with the local authorities."
READ MORE SUN STORIES
The club also shared a map of possible routes the duo could have taken on their hike.
Palace fans have been urged to share images and information on their social outlets to increase the search for the missing friends.
Topics