Argentine missing in Chile

The search for Marco Roldán, a 29-year-old Argentine tourist from Córdoba who disappeared 10 days ago in Chile while he climbed Mount Taras continued yesterday.

French tourist Frédéric Deltur, who was identified as the last person to see him, has yet to be found by Chilean police and is suspected of being in Peru.

However, Deltur yesterday responded to investigative emails by posting on his travel-blog (happytravel.tumblr.com) that he had accompanied Roldán up the mountain on January 6 along with Mario Olivera, who decided to return home, while the other two continued.

Olivera later saw Deltur, who revealed that “being tired and without water,” he had also decided to abandon the hike, while Roldán had decided to continue in order to take some photographs at the summit of the 4,200-metre mountain. In his blog, which includes the last known picture of Roldán, the Frenchman claims to have assisted police in search efforts for two hours, before departing.

Roldán’s father, Luis, claimed: “We had been told (Deltur) would not be allowed to leave the country but he has already crossed the border into Peru through Arica.”

The intense search has involved firemen, volunteers, mountain police and experienced local mountain guides, while the Argentine Deputy Consul in Valparaíso, Griselda Sears, has participated in meetings with the missing man’s parents and police to co-ordinate search efforts.

Facebook and Twitter pages have been set up to spread awareness of his disappearance.

—Herald with Telam