Missing Brit doctor Tom Doherty ‘didn’t have the proper kit’ for perilous hike, says wife as helicopter search launched
A RETIRED doctor who vanished while hiking solo in the perilous Pyrenees “didn’t have the proper kit”, his wife has said.
Tom Doherty, 67, disappeared on Tuesday after sending an alarming message to his family that read: “Help, I’ve fallen and cannot move.”
The desperate search for the dad-of-four involving dogs and helicopters has been obstructed by poor visibility – causing great worry for his family, including his wife Anne.
Anne admitted that Tom “doesn’t know the mountain well” as concerns continue to grow about his safety.
She explained how her husband regularly hiked alone but only for “two to three-hour walks”.
Anne told FranceInfo: “[He] did not have the complete and necessary equipment” for long solo hikes.
Describing the moment the family received the message from Tom, she said: “We panicked.
“When I arrived in France, 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.”
Anne said she knows her husband was in Ax-les-Thermes, a ski resort in the Ariege department, close to Andorra, earlier in the week.
She said: “We know this because he went hiking and camping.
“Every day we received photos and messages.
“And then on Tuesday, around 8pm, while we were in England, everyone received messages saying: “Help, I’ve fallen and cannot move.” And then nothing more.”
Anne arrived in France from the UK on Wednesday with her daughter Rachel.
She continued: “Since Tuesday, we have had no contact with him. He doesn’t receive any messages.
“He does not answer. We therefore launched the alert from England.
“Since Wednesday, searches have been carried out in the mountains with dogs and helicopters, but fog appeared, which made the operation difficult.
“My daughter and I took a flight to arrive very early on Wednesday morning. We went up to the Col d’Escots in Ustou and found his car.
“We know he’s camping somewhere in the area, but not exactly where.
“During the day, someone saw him near the Aubé pond car park, near the Gérarc circle.
“He was tired, but he wanted to continue. Later, he was probably injured in an accident. Now we don’t know where he is.”
The couple from St Albans, Hertfordshire, own a home in south-west France where the tropical medicine consultant has spent a large party of his retirement with his family.
Tom’s niece Kat Waterhouse told The Sun on Thursday that his jacket was found in the car but the tent is missing.
She continued: “What we don’t know is whether he has that tent with him currently, or whether he’s made himself a campsite somewhere and then gone off hiking.
“He’s travelling alone.”
Kat went on to say how she and the family are “shocked” at the situation but trying to remain positive.
She said: “We’ve got to be hopeful, haven’t we?”
More of Tom’s family members flew out yesterday to join in on the search.