Not every rescue operation succeeds in finding a missing person. While true disappearances are very rare, across the UK a small number of hikers, climbers and campers have vanished, their bodies never found. Police are still appealing for information in some cases.
When someone disappears in the British mountains in tragic or fatal circumstances, questions surrounding these terrible incidents of missing hikers, climbers and backpackers are usually answered. Despite challenges with inaccessible terrain, poor weather, snow and darkness, rescue teams in the UK – equipped with search dogs, drones and other specialist equipment – are incredibly skilled at searching our mountains. In most cases, a body will be found, whether it’s hours, days or weeks later. Such discoveries can provide closure to the bereaved.
Sometimes, though, the wait for answers is measured in years. In one remarkable case, the remains of a missing walker were discovered in Eryri (Snowdonia) 12 years after he vanished without a trace. In August 2012, Shayne Colaco, a 33-year-old doctor from the Stoke-on-Trent area, failed to return to his car after a hike in the Carneddau massif. An extensive rescue operation by air and on foot proved unsuccessful and the mystery left detectives baffled for more than a decade.
But in May 2024, Colaco’s body was discovered by helicopter crews in a deep, remote gully. During a routine operation, team members spotted a glimpse of blue on the rugged terrain. On closer investigation, they actually found the body of David Brookfield, a 65-year-old from Lancashire who had gone missing that January. But remarkably, just metres from Brookfield, rescuers later discovered Colaco, thus solving a long-standing cold case. It is believed both men took the same fatal wrong turn off Pen yr Ole Wen.
After this incident, Sgt Paul Terry of North Wales Police told the BBC: “It’s important to understand the scale of these hills and the impact of weather – and how quickly it can change. We want you to come and enjoy these beautiful mountains in Eryri, it is amazing, but come and be safe and enjoy it. And so, I have a very simple safety message – be prepared.”
To learn more about mountain safety, you can also read our articles on how to stay safe in the hills or visit the Adventure Smart website.
In two other strange historical episodes worthy of mention, mysteries were ultimately solved in the fullness of time.
Firstly, in the early 1930s, Edinburgh accountant Leighton Johnstone disappeared on Ben Nevis in winter, as reported by the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal (page 413-418). Despite intensive searches over several days, he was never found and his death was widely accepted – indeed, his wife sold their house and moved abroad as a widow. But, to the utter bewilderment of witnesses, Johnstone turned up at the Nevis climbing hut six months later in a confused, emaciated state. He thought he’d only been gone for a day.
What on earth had happened? Not a miracle, according to the SMC. Instead the theory is that, having fallen from Tower Ridge into a snow drift, “Johnstone was thus imprisoned in ice, in a natural refrigerator, and lay there in a state of suspended animation until the thaw set in the late spring”.
Secondly there is the tragic case of five-year-old Tommy Jones, who became lost in the Brecon Beacons in 1900 while travelling with his father to visit relatives near Pen y Fan. A huge search involving soldiers, police, farmers and volunteers failed to find him for 29 days. Then a local woman, troubled by a dream about where he might be (according to local legend), persuaded her husband to help search. They discovered Tommy’s body high on the mountain, around 1,300ft above the place he had become separated from his family. How such a young child reached that spot remains one of the haunting aspects of the story.
But, sadly, not every disappearance case is resolved. While true disappearances are very rare, across the UK a small number of hikers, climbers and campers have disappeared without their bodies or any clues ever being found, leaving families without answers and circumstances that may never be fully explained. Here are five cases, in some of which police are still appealing for information.
Five cases of missing hikers and climbers in the UK mountains
1. Brian McGillicuddy: Ben Nevis, Scotland (February 2026)
American climber Brian McGillicuddy, 64, disappeared during a planned trip to Ben Nevis, possibly attempting Orion Face Direct, one of the mountain’s most difficult ice-climbing routes. He was last seen at 4am on Thursday, February 19 drone pilots and search dogs joined the operation, but challenging winter conditions hampered efforts. Months later, his wife was still waiting for answers, describing her grief as being “on hold”
2. Neil Skinner: Loch Dochard, Scotland (May 2022)
Retiree Neil Skinner, 72, from Doncaster, disappeared after camping near Loch Dochard, close to Bridge of Orchy, on May 8 2022. He was reported missing the following day, prompting searches involving police officers, mountain rescue teams, aircraft and marine units. Despite extensive enquiries, no trace of him was found. A year later, his family were still desperately seeking answers, while police renewed their appeal to anyone who had visited the remote Highland area, reports Sky News.
3. Glyn Smith: Loch Ailsh, Scotland (April 2022)
Glyn Smith, 76, from Cambridgeshire, was believed to be undertaking a walking tour of northern Scotland when he disappeared. Police say he was last seen near Benmore Lodge, close to Loch Ailsh, on April 28 2022, and subsequently failed to meet friends as arranged. Police issued an appeal after more than three weeks without contact, reportedThe Scottish Sun, raising concerns about his whereabouts.
4. Stephen Michael Cole: Walsall and Betws-y-Coed (1996)
In this case, outdoor enthusiast Stephen Michael Cole, 30, disappeared in June 1996 after returning home to Walsall in the West Midlands from a camping trip in Betws-y-Coed, North Wales. A friend helped him carry his camping equipment indoors before Cole said he was going out for a drink. He never returned and was never seen since. When he was reported missing, his tent and sleeping bag had also vanished. At the time, police stated: “It is possible Stephen took his camping gear and went back to Wales for some reason, but there has been no sign of life from him since he was last seen.” Mr Cole was a “keen outdoor adventurer, who regularly went climbing, walking and camping”, according to the BBC. Almost three decades later, police renewed the appeal for information.
In March 2022, 32-year-old Finn Creaney, a bushcraft instructor and survival YouTuber, vanished after setting off on a solo wilderness trek around Loch Naver and beyond towards Golspie in Sutherland. Last seen shortly after being dropped off on March 25, he had extensive survival experience and regularly undertook solo adventures. Despite major searches involving police, mountain rescue and aircraft, he remained missing. In October 2023, his rucksack was found beside the loch, but subsequent searches failed to locate him. In 2025, his family said the search to find him was over, as reported by STV News.
