Aziz Ziriat: Missing Brit’s belongings found in Dolomites as search continues
Searchers in the Dolomites said they have found items belonging to Aziz Ziriat
Rescuers have found items belonging to a British hiker who has been missing in the Dolomites for 11 days as the search for him continues.
Sam Harris, 35, and Aziz Ziriat, 36, both from London, had not been heard from since January 1.
The body of Mr Harris was found in the Passo di Conca area on Wednesday, rescuers said.
Italy’s national alpine cliff and cave rescue corps (CNSAS) said on Sunday at 5.45pm local time that the continuing search for Mr Ziriat had been stood down for the day.
A spokesperson said some items belonging to Mr Ziriat were found on Saturday.
It comes as Mr Harris’s best friend and business partner paid tribute to him.
In a post on Instagram, Spencer Jones said: “To say I am devastated would be an understatement, and I have no words to fully describe how I am feeling at the moment.
“The search is ongoing for our good friend Aziz Ziriat, so for now, I want to focus on Sam.
“He was an amazing friend of 23 years, ever since our school days. He was probably the most knowledgeable person I have ever known, and building the business with him has been an incredible journey.”
On Sunday, more than 100 rescuers continued their hunt for Mr Ziriat.
Crews continued to probe the snow in an area of about 5,500 square metres, CNSAS said, with the help of a dog unit.
They have been searching the area after tracking the mobile phones of the two mountaineers to where their backpacks were found on Wednesday, but found no trace of Mr Ziriat.
The search was stood down for the day after 3pm on Sunday as it began to get dark.
Joe Stone, a university friend of Mr Ziriat, previously told the PA news agency that authorities are “trying everything” to find the 36-year-old.
“There is an acceptance among us that it’s not going to be good news,” Mr Stone said on Saturday.
“But it would be really nice to find him and be put out of this limbo.”