Fears grow for hillwalker posted missing on Highland peak
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
AROUND 40 volunteers and a rescue helicopter team have spent the day on one of the Highlands' landmark mountains trying to trace a man posted missing by family overseas.
Tomas Gafrik (40), who is from Slovakia, arrived in Scotland at Edinburgh Airport last Tuesday and on Thursday posted a short film of himself just above Half Way Lochan on Ben Nevis.
Nothing has been heard from him since he contacted family on Thursday, sending images which indicated he had spent the previous night near the Halfway Lochan on Ben Nevis and intended to continue to the summit that day.
Twenty-seven Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team members plus 12 other mountain rescuers from other teams and Rescue 151 have been searching on Ben Nevis all day.
With the weather forecast on Ben Nevis for Monday 24 predicting up to 50-80mph winds with extensive heavy snow, any search around summits will be extremely difficult.
Tomas is described as being 1.86m tall and of medium build with short brown hair.
He is believed to have been wearing a grey jacket and carrying a green and yellow rucksack.
Sergeant Michael Bell of Fort William Police Station said: "Tomas has not been in contact with his family since Thursday and we are growing increasingly concerned for him.
"I would ask anyone who may have seen him at any time since he arrived in Scotland on Tuesday, whether that is on Ben Nevis or elsewhere, to let us know as soon as possible.
"If you can help please call 101, quoting incident 2681 of 23 February."
