In a Skype interview with the BBC on June 6, Bluebell Baughan, Aiden Webb’s girlfriend who is also traveling in Vietnam, told a reporter that he had fallen and injured his arm and knees while attempting to climb Indochina’s highest mountain.
“Before Aiden and I lost contact, he sent me a screen print of his on Google Maps,” said Bluebell. "I was able to provide that to the police who sent their teams to the same area, but they could not find Aiden.”
Park rangers and local security forces have been unable to find the man so far, said the deputy director of the Lao Cai Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, Nguyen Dinh Dzung.
Webb headed up Fansipan alone on Friday without registering his trip with Hoang Lien National Park's Management Board, added Dzung. According to park regulations, all tourists must purchase a ticket to climb the mountain with a registered guide, and provide personal information and details of their route.
BEATVN, a popular Facebook page in Vietnam, shared Lisa's post on their over-one-million-fan page. |
Aiden Webb, 22, was reported missing three days ago in the mountains near Sapa in the northwest of Vietnam by his family.
His aunt, Lisa Shaw Webb, raised the alarm via a widely-shared Facebook post, saying he was last seen on Friday on Mount Fansipan in Hoang Lien National Park. His father and uncle have flown into the country to join the search for the 22-year-old.