Family fly to Spain to join hunt for missing North Yorkshire hiker (From York Press)

Family fly to Spain to join hunt for missing North Yorkshire hiker, Gordon Simm, 63, from Kirkbymoorside

11:50am Saturday 4th August 2012 in News By Mike Laycock, Chief reporter

THE family of a North Yorkshire hiker who has gone missing in Spain have flown there to help a guide searching the mountains where he disappeared.

Semi-retired engineer and walking guide author Gordon Simm, 63, from Kirkbymoorside, has not been seen since he vanished while walking through a foggy gorge several days ago.

He was reported missing by his wife, Wendy, on July 22, after failing to return from a walk along the Rio Chillar river, east of Malaga.

Now his daughter, Deborah Mc- Cloud, and other family members have met up with an experienced mountain guide for the area.

Dutch guide Michael Tweehuijsen has driven Mrs Simm, Mrs Mc-Cloud and Mr Simm’s brother and his son to the ravine where it is believed Mr Simm disappeared.

It is hoped they would recognise areas where he had walked previously and help corroborate the search.

Mrs McCloud said she had not lost hope of finding her father alive, saying he had plenty of experience of walking in the area.

It is believed he could have been disoriented by fog and left the main track. Volunteers have joined police, firefighters and tracker dog teams in a search for him.

Both searches are being supported by the Foreign Office and North Yorkshire Police, who are liasing with their foreign counterparts.