Anish Vij
The family of a missing British hiker has shared an emotional statement after personal items were discovered in the Italian mountains.
The body of Londoner Sam Harris, 35 - who went for a hike with Aziz Ziriat, 36, in the Dolomites in northern Italy - was found in the Passo di Conca area on Wednesday (8 January).
Italy's national alpine cliff and cave rescue corps (CNSAS) team said that the search for Ziriat remains ongoing after his items were found on Saturday (11 January).
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Family members and loved ones last heard from the pair on 1 January at 2.20pm when they received messages from the Trentino region.
In an emotional statement released on Saturday, Ziriat's family said (via the BBC): "We have been devastated by the tragic events of the last few days. Our appreciation for the co-ordinated work and expertise of the Alpine Rescue, emergency services and volunteers in Italy is immeasurable.
"The work they have been doing, battling against challenging terrain and weather conditions, and their commitment to finding Aziz has been outstanding.
"We are also incredibly grateful for the overwhelmingly kind and generous ongoing support from family and friends, Aziz is continuing to be loved and prayed for.
"We hope, with all our hearts, he will be found and brought home soon."
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On Sunday (12 January), over 100 rescuers continued their search for Ziriat, as crews probed the snow in an area of about 5,500 square metres 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 last week.
This comes after Harris’s best friend and business partner paid tribute to him on Instagram.
"To say I am devastated would be an understatement, and I have no words to fully describe how I am feeling at the moment," Spencer Jones said. "The search is ongoing for our good friend Aziz Ziriat, so for now, I want to focus on Sam.
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"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."
Meanwhile, Joe Stone, a university friend of Ziriat, said that authorities are ‘trying everything’ to find him.
"There is an acceptance among us that it’s not going to be good news," he said. "But it would be really nice to find him and be put out of this limbo."
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said on Friday (10 January): “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in northern Italy and are in contact with the local authorities.”