Lost in the fog of the Tiger's Leap Gorge: Belgian traveler missing for 8 weeks

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28-year-old Hugo Huyghebaert from Namur, Belgium, had been traveling through Asia for months and was normally supposed to return to Belgium on April 1. But the adventurous twenty-something was not on the plane home. His family notified the Belgian and Chinese authorities and an intensive search for the man has been underway ever since. However, hopes are dwindling week by week.

Hugo was last seen on March 26 just before his trek to China's Tiger's Leap Gorge. The Tiger Gorge is one of the deepest and most spectacular gorges in the world, located in Yunnan province in southwestern China. At an altitude of four thousand meters, the gorge gets its name from an ancient legend: a tiger is said to have escaped a hunter here by jumping across the river at its narrowest point, using a large rock in the middle of the river. There is a 22-kilometer trail with two possible routes: the upper route and a slightly lower and easier route. For now, however, it is unclear whether the Belgian started the hike of the Tiger Spring Gorge at all.

Rescue worker dies during search

Chinese authorities mounted a search at the request of Huyghebaert's family, whose mother, brother and uncle traveled to China. In late April, however, a 39-year-old rescue worker was killed during the search for the Belgian traveler. However, with the family's agreement, the Chinese Blue Sky Rescue Team decided on Sunday to call off the search operation. This was reported by Het Nieuwsblad.

The missing Belgian's family will travel to China again in August. Together with the rescue services, they will then organize a new search operation. It is only after the rainy season that the rainfall decreases and the snow melts, increasing the chances of finding the young man's body.

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