American hiker vanishes while visiting Peru as family issues urgent plea
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: GoFundMe
A worried family have issued an urgent plea after a Virginia man vanished while hiking the Andes mountains in Peru.
Ian Treger, 29, arrived in the South American country on May 11 for a ten-day trip, but hasn't returned to the US, according to family friend Donna Welch, who told WDBJ.
"He arrived there on the 11th of May and was set to take the trail on the 13th of May. We lost total contact of Ian around May 13th at 11am," Welch told the outlet.
Treger has spent recent years teaching English in Latin America, according to the family friend, while he's also a massive fan of traveling and hiking.
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Though he does have regular contact with his family despite being away a lot, so his non-contact has deeply concerned family.
Welch went on to tell WDBJ that authorities are struggling to determine exactly which hiking trail Treger took, while surveillance footage captured Treger leaving his AirBnB.
"There’s no leads. Nothing is showing on the camera except him leaving his Airbnb," Welch added.
Treger's mother, Michelle Ludwig, is also in Peru and 'working with the police, the U.S. Embassy and the military to track down his last steps', Welch went on to say.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by Ludwig to help 'support search and rescue', with the fundraiser saying the American 'appreciates his love of life'.
"Everyone who knows or has met Ian enjoys his sense of humor, appreciates his love of life, is fascinated by his many tales of travel, and will never forget his beautiful smile & bright blue eyes," it states.
"Please help me fund costly private search & rescue efforts. The area is extremely large with hazards around every corner."
Peruvian National Police have launched multiple search operations for Treger, with their search now focused to two locations, Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain and Choquequirao archaeological park.
Treger’s phone has gone offline, making the search more complicated for officials in Peru.
"We don’t have reliable information on where the tourist has gone, and that complicates things for us," a spokesperson told Andina.
"Suddenly it’s turned off, which makes geolocation even more difficult."
The missing Virginia man is described as 5-foot-10, medium build and has two fish tattoos on his right calf.
A US State Department spokesperson told WDBJ: "The Trump administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans, and the U.S. Embassy in Peru has been closely engaged since Mr. Treger’s disappearance was reported. We would refer you to Peruvian law enforcement for questions regarding their search effort."