Search for missing Father

[Jochen_Schmidtke]

Hello.
A daughter is missing her father.
She has posted her search in a German pilgrims forum.

Here is the German text:
Bitte um Hilfe!
Mein Papa Richard aus Tirol ( Österreich ) ist auf den Weg nach Santiago de Compostela! Letzter Standpunkt wahr am 10.9.2015 in Lourdes, von da aus wollte er über Pyrenäen nach Santiago de Compostela! Laut Plan müsste er jetzt ca an der spanischen Grenze sein. Hat ihn jemand gesehen oder ist mit ihm ein Stück gewandert? LG Danke

English Translation:
My father Richard fron Tyrolia (Austria) is on his way to SdC.
His last stop was in Lourdes on September 9th 2015. From there he planned to cross the Pyrenees.
He should be by now on the border to Spain.
Has someone seen him?
@ivar Rekve
Is there an institution where I can start a search for him on the Camino?
Buen Camino
Jochen

 

[wayfarer]

Hi Jochen, If you could get a few more details on this. Is he coming through St. Jean or using another route, a photo would also be helpful.

 

[miguel_gp]

Hi Jochen, If you could get a few more details on this. Is he coming through St. Jean or using another route, a photo would also be helpful.

There is a link to a photo in the German forum (shown below)

 

[wayfarer]

Thanks Miguel.

 

[mountaingoat999]

assuming you have checked with the pilgrims office in SJPP if taking the Frances or checking the albergue in IRUN if he is taking the Norte...


it doers say he was not very fit or healthy on the German forum..checking the French hospital system first to rule out a health issuse

 

[Rebekah Scott]

No one of his name registered at San Anton de Castrojeriz during the month of September. I hope he turns up safe and well.

 

[MTtoCamino]

I walked with a man from Sweden who had the year before fell & broke his leg. He crawled easily 2k where others found him. He was in hospital 30 days. He told of the difficulty phoning his wife/family. So for those of you living there & not sure of the route what would be the best way to have the family contact hospitals in the northeast section of Spain?

 

[Rebekah Scott]

the Red Cross does that routinely.

 

[scruffy1]

Contact Casa Paderborn in Pamplona as well. If he turned towards Pamplona he probably had planned on stopping there.
http://www.jakobusfreunde-paderborn.eu/index.php/casa

 

[ivar]

Thank you for posting this @Jochen_Schmidtke . I hope that he his found.

I had a look at the post in the German forum, but my German is not the best... if I understand correctly it is Veronica who is the daughter, and she had posted this on Facebook. Then Ulrike posted this on the German forum. Is this right?

Do you know if this has been reported to the police? This would be step 1 I think...

Please let me know.

Greetings from a rainy and windy Santiago,
Ivar

 

[Deleted member 3000]

From Lourdes, the Camino Aragones is the most logical route toward Santiago. It is much less traveled, so I don't have a recommendation on starting a location drive. The Office de Tourisme in Olororn-Ste.-Marie may be able to help. Good luck.

 

[Marc S.]

This sad story has now also appeared on a Dutch pilgrims forum. I understand from an Austrian newspaper source that the Austrian police has been informed about the missing, and that the Austrian police is now in contact with the Spanish authorities. As said before, Richard has last been in contact with his family on September 10 in Lourdes, and has not used his credit card since then, which is obviously a cause for concern. His family has contacted albergues and other accomodations on the way untill Pamplona (as well as accomodations in the Lourdes area) but so far to no avail. On the German forum it says the family is now particularly looking for people who may have seen him in Lourdes around the 10th of September.

I am just giving this as a factual update (as I speak German). I wish we could be of assistance on this forum, but to be honest, at this point I do not really know how.

Marc.

 

[VNwalking]

Unless we're in France on or near the Chemin, there's not much any of us can do but wish him and his family well--but thank you @Jochen_Schmidtke and @katarina for posting this clear information so that those Forum members who are out there on the ground can keep their eyes out for him, and spread the word. And so the rest of us can pray.

 

[William Marques]

Is the Camino Frances the right place for this thread? Is there a forum here dedicated to the route via Lourdes?

 

[naplesdon]

The timeline is a bit concerning. If it were me I would have walked from Lourdes to Oloron and crossed the Pyrenees at Somport on the GR 653. There is some serious road walking and long distances between albergues on this route. Most of the stops are demi-pension, so one would need to have money or have withdraw money from ATM's b/c most places don't take credit cards for payments. Cellphone services and Internet after Oloron are difficult for about a week. The monastery in Sarrance would be logical place for him to have stayed and he could have reached it in around 10+ days from Lourdes. The path along the Gave d'Aspe is very dangerous especially if there is rain falling. I hope he is well.

 

[VNwalking]

I hope he is well.

As do we all.
Very useful information, Don, and I hope it gets to the family somehow (sent you a pm about this).

This one, from Bianca Krismer, has additional photos, including photos of the Deuter backpack and the wheelie: https://www.facebook.com/bianca.krismer.9?fref=ufi

And thanks, Katharina. (If like me you tried to view this page but get an error message, that's because you need to be logged in to FB to view it.)

 

[wayfarer]

Any update on Richard Krismer.

 

[wayfarer]

Thank you Katharina.

 

[Anniesantiago]

This sounds like it's going to be bad news again.
Let's hope not.
Perhaps anyone walking that route could ask about him along the way.
I agree with William that perhaps this should be posted in a "Lourdes" thread, if there is one.
The first stop after Lourdes would be Asson - maybe begin by checking this albergue to see if he was ever there?

 

[Anniesantiago]

There is a post under Syl's post which reads:

Melina von Holt Its NOT Richard! This report is wrong, please dont share!!!! He is still missing!

So I'm not sure . . .

If you read the comments on the AMOC website, Melina von Holt insists the daughter says this body found was not her father. She posts it again 4 hours ago.


Melina von HoltAre you sure? He is still missing!!!!!

Like · 10 hrs

Helen BellettiHow do you know he's still missing Melina? This says they found his body.

Like · 1 · 9 hrs

Melina von HoltFrom his daughter...

Like · 9 hrs

Helen BellettiSo this isn't him? When did you hear from his daughter? I hope for the best.

Like · 8 hrs

Melina von HoltShe wrote to me today! Her father is still missing!

Like · 7 hrs

Melina von HoltBecause of this report, post in other groups

Like · 7 hrs

 

[Marc S.]

I do not want to add confusion, but I am not sure either.

The APOC page links to a French article dated October 20. The article mentions indeed that the body of Richard Krismer has been found.

However, on the german pilgrim forum, it was mentioned on 23 October (so after the before mentioned French article) that a person had been found, but this was not Richard Krismer. The same has been written on a French pilgrim group on facebook. A French girl writes the she has phoned the Lourdes police, who confirmed the found person was not Richard. So apparently, the French news source has made a mistake.

On the facebook page of Veronica Krismer's (his daughter) an update was posted today that Richard is still missing.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I do not want to add confusion, but I am not sure either.

The APOC page links to a French article dated October 20. The article mentions indeed that the body of Richard Krismer has been found.

However, on the german pilgrim forum, it was mentioned on 23 October (so after the before mentioned French article) that a person had been found, but this was not Richard Krismer. The same has been written on a French pilgrim group on facebook. A French girl writes the she has phoned the Lourdes police, who confirmed the found person was not Richard. So apparently, the French news source has made a mistake.

On the facebook page of Veronica Krismer's (his daughter) an update was posted today that Richard is still missing.

Marc, can I cut and paste your message on the APOC Facebook page?
Or if you are a member, would you post this information?

 

[Marc S.]

Annie, please do so (and edit any possible language mistakes - English is not my first language).

 

[Marc S.]

In addition, the link to the French facebook page mentioned above (message dated October 24).
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=554353204715308&set=gm.889671171129619&type=3&pnref=story

This page also mentions that a group of people will do a search in the area around Lourdes, this Saturday October 31.
Apparently it is assumed that Richard has never left the Lourdes area.
If anyone on this forum wants to join this search - there are contact details on the French facebook page mentioned
above. (the information on this page in both English and French).

 

[Kanga]

Thread temporarily closed while we await further information. Please PM me or @ivar with have any specific new facts.

 

[Kanga]

I have received a PM from Katerina with the following information:

Richard Krismer is still missing. Posters have been put up in police stations and town halls in the Lourdes region, and leaflets have been distributed. Hospitals, gîtes, campsites, tourist offices and pilgrims offices have been contacted, as well as some of the pilgrims who arrived in Sarranche between 12 and 25 September. No leads so far.

A newspaper wrongly reported in October that his body had been found in the region of the Oô valley at an altitude of 2700m. This is not true. It was not Richard Krismer but a French hiker.

A search will be organised this Saturday 31 October 2015 in the area around Lourdes.

 

[Kanga]

I will reopen the thread for new information, but please people, keep posts strictly factual and on track.

 

[SYates]

The original thread, posted by a friend of the daughter on her behalf, on the German pilgrims forum is here: http://pilgerforum.de/forum/index.php/topic,15236.0.html for those of you that can read German. In this message http://pilgerforum.de/forum/index.php/topic,15236.msg169306.html#msg169306 a forum member passes on news from the niece of the missing person. Rough translation:

Found by the mountain police, lives now in France, needs time out.

At the same time his daughter still declares him missing. I thought I put that here up to keep those interested up to date what is going on. Buen Camino, SY

 

[wayfarer]

The original thread, posted by a friend of the daughter on her behalf, on the German pilgrims forum is here: http://pilgerforum.de/forum/index.php/topic,15236.0.html for those of you that can read German. In this message http://pilgerforum.de/forum/index.php/topic,15236.msg169306.html#msg169306 a forum member passes on news from the niece of the missing person. Rough translation:

Found by the mountain police, lives now in France, needs time out.

At the same time his daughter still declares him missing. I thought I put that here up to keep those interested up to date what is going on. Buen Camino, SY

Thank you for the update SY.