Spanish mountain rescuers are looking for missing Americans in the Pyrenees

Spanish mountain rescuers are looking for missing Americans in the Pyrenees

Spanish rescue teams are looking for an American hiker who has been missing in the Pyrenees for eight days.

search action in the national park

specialized mountain rescue teams and helicopters of the air service are looking for Cole Henderson, 27 years old, in the National Park Ordesa y Monte Perdido in northern Spain, the Guardia Civil CNN shared on Wednesday.

last sign of life

Henderson was last heard on July 9, as his friend Max Senoff reported in a Facebook post on Tuesday. In a message, Henderson announced that he had parked his car, switched his cell phone on flight mode and started with his hike. Since then there has been no trace of him.

missing person report submitted

On July 14th, Henderson was officially reported after he missed his return flight to the Netherlands on July 12, according to the Guardia Civil. The authorities found Henderson's car in Torla, a city west of the national park.

possible ascent of Monte Perdido

Senoff suspects that Henderson may try to climb the Monte Perdido, the third highest peak of the Pyrenees with a height of 3,355 meters. It can be seen on recordings on social media that the normal hiking trail of Torla, where Henderson's car was parked, was still covered with snow at the beginning of July.

climbing evaluation and requirements

The path is classified by the climbing community as "PEU Difficile" (PD), which means "a little difficult". While PD routes are often climbed without rope, they can contain steep climbing passages or glaciers with columns and often require special equipment such as ice cream pimples or crampons.

about Cole Henderson

According to his profiles in social media, Henderson visited the St. Andrews School in Middletown, Delaware before studying computer science at Rhodes College in Tennessee.

This case not only put the local community, but also hikers and outdoor enthusiasts worldwide. The search for Henderson remains crucial, and the hope of his safe return is still great.

CNNS Jack Guy contributed to this report.