Family's concern for tourist missing in Nepal
The desperate family of a tourist who went missing after trekking to Mount Everest today spoke of their fears for his safety.
Julian Wynne should have been celebrating his 33rd birthday yesterday with a close friend he arranged to meet in India.
But he has not been seen since December 22, when he set off alone on a trail towards the base camp of the mountain in Nepal.
His mother Pat Wynne is at home in Beaufort Avenue, Fareham, desperately waiting for news.
She said: 'We're terribly worried. We're doing all we can to track him down, but all we want is for him to be safe and sound, and to let us know he's OK.'
Julian is a keen traveller and Pompey fan who lives with his mother when he is in the UK.
He left England for India with friend Lee Jeffries in October, at the start of a nine-month trip which was to take in Nepal and the Himalayas.
But the pair split up when they decided to take different paths through the Cho La region and Namche, towards Everest's base camp, and Julian has not been seen since.
Mrs Wynne, 62, said: 'We last spoke to him by e-mail on December 8, but we've been in contact with Lee and he saw him last on December 22.
Lee waited for him and headed for India where they were going to meet for Julian's birthday. But there was no sign of him there, either. It's agonising. We feel helpless.
'It's unlike him to go so long without speaking to anyone and we're very worried. His birthday made it even more emotional for us. We've e-mailed to say please get in contact with us.
'We want to know he's OK and we're desperate to hear from him.'
Julian went to St Edmund's School in Portsmouth, and has spent his life to travelling since leaving in 1992.
In between visits to Australia, New Zealand, South America, Japan and Germany, he worked loading vans at Target in Fareham.
Despite his life-long allegiance to Manchester United, he had a Portsmouth season-ticket when in the UK. Sister Sophie, 29, said: 'He's been travelling for years and been right across the world. He loves to travel and we weren't expecting him back until June, when I'm getting married.
'But he normally stays in touch and until now he'd not been mountaineering, so we're really worried.'
Julian has not signed out of the Sagarmatha national park, where visitors must register.
His family believe he could have passed through an unmanned exit on his way to meet Lee in India, but are concerned that they have heard nothing from him.
His brother-in-law Greg Crowter, who is married to Julian's other sister Rachael, flew out from the couple's home in Australia on Sunday to join local guide groups and the British Embassy searching for Julian.
Julian's brother Marcus has set up a Facebook site called Find Julian Wynne, while Rachael has posted appeals for information on his whereabouts on trekkers' websites including Trekinfo.com.
The family have set up an email address for correspondence about Julian's disappearance. The address is findjulianwynne@hotmail.co.uk
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Friday 25 May 2012
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