‘Distraught’ mother of missing hiker Esther Dingley says it is ‘utterly out of character’ for her not to contact family

Ms Dingley, 37 has not been heard from since November 22 when she sent a photo to her partner of 19 years on top of the Pic de Sauvegarde on the Spain-France border  

Credit: ESTHER & DAN / Facebook 

The mother of missing hiker Esther Dingley says she is “distraught” and that it is “utterly out of character” for her daughter to be out of contact for this length of time, as she appeals for her safe return.

Ms Dingley, 37 has not been heard from since November 22 when she sent a photo to her partner of 19 years on top of the Pic de Sauvegarde on the Spain-France border.

Despite an extensive search on both sides of the Pyrenees, including by partner Dan Colegate, no trace of her has been found and police have not ruled out that she has been taken against her will.

In her first public plea, Ria Dingley-Schoneveld said on Facebook: “We are utterly distraught not knowing where Esther is or what has happened to her and would implore anyone who may know anything, however seemingly insignificant, to come forward with that information.

“We are desperate to see our beloved girl again so thank you for anything you can do to help us find her”.

Missing British hiker

Describing her disappearance as “utterly out of character,” Ria added: “Esther is an open book. She openly shared some of the difficult decisions that she and Dan would be facing soon, primarily linked to Brexit and the impact that would have on their itinerant lifestyle, but that didn’t dampen her joy for the life they both were living.”

Ms Dingley and Mr Colegate had been staying in a farmhouse in southern France when Ms Dingley went hiking alone across the Spanish border at the end of October.

“We spoke every day, the time apart worked as we expected, and we were very joyful when we spoke,” said Mr Colegate. 

“We were missing each other. The hike she went missing on was to be her last hike before driving back. Our last conversation was totally loving and all smiles. She was so happy, and we were excited to see each other.”

Esther’s family and Mr Colegate are being supported by LBT Global, the charity which supports British nationals in crisis overseas formerly known as the Lucie Blackman Trust.

Its Chief Executive Matthew Searle MBE said: “If you have information please do pass it to us, anonymously if you wish, and it will be passed to investigators. 

“Whether somebody has stepped over a border or not is immaterial, what matters is that every bit of information that could bring Esther home is provided.”