Missing British tourist sparks massive rescue operation in northern Vietnam

By Nhung Nguyen   June 6, 2016 | 02:11 am PT
Missing British tourist sparks massive rescue operation in northern Vietnam
British tourist goes missing near Sapa
On Monday (June 6) afternoon, Director of Hoang Lien National Park Nguyen Quang Vinh confirmed he has received a report that a British tourist has gone missing after setting out to climb the 3,143 meter Fansipan Mountain in northwest Vietnam.

A massive search was launched by the authorities in Sa Pa District and Hoang Lien National Park early on June 4, and local police and rangers have also been called in.

According to Express.co.uk, a British Foreign Office spokeswoman has confirmed Aiden Webb, a young British backpacker from Norwich, is missing.

Aiden Webb, 22, has been reported missing for three days 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 posting, saying he was last seen three days ago on Fansipan Mountain in Hoang Lien National Park.

“I'm sad to announce that my nephew Aiden Webb has gone missing in Vietnam,” Lisa wrote on a picture of Aiden on her Facebook account. “As a family we are trying hard to locate him. His dad (my brother Trever) and my other brother (Michael) are flying out to Vietnam tonight at 6 p.m. to help in the search... this is very upsetting for our family.”

In her most recent post, Lisa wrote: "Latest message from Bluebell who's out there with Aiden Webb: They have sent two teams into the mountain this morning following the streams as I suggested Aiden probably will have chosen to stay near water and perhaps follow the stream down the mountain. 20 men slept on the mountain last night and have been searching again this morning."

In the comments section on Lisa's post, some local people have claimed they have seen a blonde tourist in Hoang Lien National Park who looks like Aiden. However, no confirmation has been made.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the search, which has attracted $1,435 in donations so far.

If you want to help with the search, you can visit www.facebook.com/lisa.s.webb1 for more information.

Fansipan, the highest mountain in Indochina at 3,143 meters (10,312 ft), is a popular destination for Vietnamese and overseas trekkers. It is located in Lao Cai Province to the northwest of Vietnam.

 
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