The wife of a retired British doctor who went missing while hiking in the French Pyrenees said he “did not have the complete and necessary equipment” for the trip.
Tom Doherty, 67, was hiking and camping near Col d'Escots when his family lost contact with him on Tuesday. Dogs and helicopters have been deployed as the authorities try to trace him.
Mr Doherty, from St Albans, is believed to have texted his family begging for “help” after he fell over and could not move during the trip.
His wife Anne has now arrived in France to assist with the search.
Speaking to news outlet FranceInfo on Thursday, she expressed concern about her husband’s familiarity with the area, saying “he doesn’t know the mountain well”.
She said he “toured the Pyrenees 15 years ago” but that “he did not have the complete and necessary equipment” for long solo hikes.
Describing the moment the family received his message, she said: “We panicked. When I arrived inFrance, I hoped that they had found him and that we would be in the hospital.
“But, in the afternoon with the fog, we lost confidence, especially for a 67-year-old man spending a second night alone in these conditions.
“We have a lot of worries, but we have not lost hope. This is why we are appealing for witnesses. If anyone has seen him, if anyone knows in which campsite he has pitched his tent, please alert the police.”
His daughter Rachel previously said the family last heard from him at 7.07pm via WhatsApp.
She said: “He was sending us a few pictures of the scenery and then on Tuesday afternoon sent us one of clouds coming over the top of a mountain.
“He said, 'Bugger'. We told him to be careful and urged him to come down. He told us he had fallen and couldn't move. That's all we've had since.
“The search party found a tent and his car. We're extremely concerned.”
Mr Doherty is a grandfather of one who has been described as an avid and experienced walker. He had set off on Saturday.
According to his family, he was a consultant of tropical medicine working around the world specialising in malaria.
Since retiring almost a decade ago, Mr Doherty has spent most of his time in France.
