A search is ongoing for two British hikers who went missing after a trip to the Italian mountains.
Aziz Ziriat, 36, and Samuel Harris, 35, both from London, were hiking in the Dolomites in northern Italy during the New Year. Their last contact was on January 1 at 2:20 PM when they sent a message to their families from the Trentino region... Continue reading here ▶
The two were expected to return to the UK on January 6, but they didn’t make their flight. Their last known location was near a hut close to Tione di Trento, near Lake Garda.
Italian authorities noted it’s rare for hikers to go missing during this time of year. Rescue teams, including Alpine Rescue, Guardia di Finanza Rescue, Carabinieri, and local firefighters, are working to find them, but heavy snowfall is making the search difficult.
Friends of the hikers are traveling from London to Italy to help with the search, and appeals for information have been shared widely on social media. Crystal Palace Football Club, where Ziriat works, posted a message asking for help locating the pair.
The hikers were last seen near Casina Dosson. Authorities provided a phone number (999) and a reference number (CAD 0197/07 Jan25) for anyone with information.
Descriptions of the two men have also been shared: Ziriat is 6’3 and a University of Brighton graduate, while Harris is 5’11 and attended Oxford Brookes University.
Mustafa Suleyman, a Microsoft AI executive, also shared a plea on LinkedIn, asking anyone familiar with the area to assist in the search efforts.
