A 67-year-old retired British doctor, Tom Doherty, has gone missing while hiking in the French Pyrenees. Doherty, who hails from St Albans, was last in contact with his family on Tuesday evening while he was near Col d’Escots.
Doherty’s daughter, Rachel Doherty, reported that the family received a message from him shortly after 7 p.m. via WhatsApp, in which he requested help and stated that he had fallen and was unable to move.
“He was sharing photos of the scenery with us,” Ms. Doherty recounted. “On Tuesday afternoon, he sent a picture of clouds coming over the top of a mountain and simply said, ‘bugger.’ We advised him to be cautious and urged him to descend.”
However, after the message about his fall, the family lost all contact. Ms. Doherty added, “The last communication we received was on Tuesday, and since then, there has been no further contact. A search party has located his car, but we remain extremely worried and deeply concerned for his safety.”
Tom Doherty, a grandfather of one with three daughters and one son, is described as an avid and experienced walker. He began his journey in the Pyrenees on Saturday.
Doherty’s wife and one of his children have been at his last known location since Wednesday morning, and Ms. Doherty is now en route to France to join the search efforts.
Mr Doherty wife Anne Doherty (Picture: Family Handout/PA)
Doherty, a respected consultant in Tropical Medicine, specialized in malaria and had worked around the globe. Since retiring nearly a decade ago, he has spent much of his time in France.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office stated, “We are supporting the family of a British man missing in France and are in contact with local authorities.”
