Family of Brit hiker missing in Italian mountains ‘refuse to give up hope’ after body of pal found ‘buried under snow’

THE family of a missing British hiker are determined to continue their search despite the body of a pal he vanished with being found.

Aziz Ziriat, 36, went missing alongside Samuel Harris in the Italian Dolomites on New Year’s Day with rescue teams yet to find any trace of Ziriat’s whereabouts.

Friends Aziz Ziriat, 36, and Samuel Harris both vanished up an Italian mountain with Ziriat yet to be found

Ziriat’s family are still hopeful that he will be found

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Rescue crews working to try and find the hikers in Italy[/caption]

A desperate hunt for the London friends was ignited after they failed to get on their flight home on January 6 and their phones had been turned off.

The first two days of the frantic search were hampered by heavy snowfall, fog, and avalanche warnings.

Rescue crews revealed they followed the hikers’ last phone recordings which led them to a body, later discovered to belong to Harris.

Officials confirmed at the time that the families of both men had been informed.

Their last known location was near a mountain hut called Casina Dosson, close to the town of Tione Di Trento, near Riva Del Garda, on Lake Garda.

DEVASTATED FAMILY

The friends’ family members revealed Aziz and Sam were planning to go between huts in the mountain range on their New Year’s hike.

Rebecca Dimmock, the girlfriend of Aziz, called the pair “experienced hikers” but revealed she last spoke to her boyfriend around 10 am on New Year’s Day, according to BBC reports.

She said: “He said his phone was about to die but he would write back to me properly soon.”

Rebecca added: “I know they made it to the hut, and they were drinking red wine, but he said it was freezing.”

Breaking down into tears this morning on Good Morning Britain, Rebecca shared the anguish their loved ones were experiencing.

She said: “There’s just so many different possibilities and scenarios, that’s the hardest thing. It doesn’t make sense and we don’t know what decisions they have made.”

Rebecca added: “They are really experienced, they have been to some really harsh conditions.”

Family and friends of the pair flew out to the Italian region last night to help rescue efforts.

Crystal Palace FC appealed for information yesterday to help find the duo as Aziz works for the club’s official Palace For Life charity.

A desperate post from Palace on X said: “A member of the Palace For Life staff and his friend have been missing since 1st January in the Dolomites.

“If anyone knows the area, is able to support further or has any information that will help, please call 999 and reference CAD 0197/07 Jan25.”

Following the news of Harris’ death, the charity said it was “devastated” and sent its “thoughts and deepest sympathies to his loved ones.”

The rescue team has confirmed that the family members of the two hikers are being supported by psychologists in Italy.