Family brings in private rescuers after Australian hiker disappears on popular Peru hiking trail

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.

The family of an Australian trekker are trying to hire more people to find the 30-year-old who went missing in the mountains of Peru last month.

The family of Jordan Yap raised the alarm after he failed to return to his hostel and board his flight back to Melbourne on 24 September following a 10-day solo trek in the South American country.

Mr Yap last made contact with his family and friends on 14 September before embarking on the trek along the remote Huayhuash mountain range, 400km northeast of the capital Lima. He was last seen near the start of the Cordillera trek circuit.

“It is likely that he is stranded without a way to call for assistance," his family said.

The family said on 28 September they were arranging additional search and rescue personnel after a wide-scale search by a private rescue team failed to yield any result. “Because we need more boots on the ground to cover as much territory as possible," the family posted. "We expect to have these units actively searching in the next few days.”

The family raised $90,500 from an online appeal to cover the cost of the private search operation. "If any funds end up not being used for this purpose, they will be returned," they said.

His father Vinh Dao told ABC News that Mr Yap had sent a text message saying he would be "off grid for the next 10 days" before embarking on his trek.

Mr Dao said his son was an experienced hiker but the Peru trip was his first solo trek.

Mr Yap was due to return to a hotel in Huarez on 23 September and board a flight from Lima to Cusco the following day.

"He failed to check in at the hotel and he missed his flight as well, so that's when the panic and the concern kicked in," Mr Dao said.

A longtime friend, Kevin Nguyen, said it was unlike Mr Yap to not communicate during the journey.

“It’s a very popular trek, where you might have 200 to 300 hikers and guides per week during the busy season, so it’s very uncharacteristic no one’s seen him since day one or day two," he told the Australian Associated Press.

Mr Yap had misplaced a satellite beacon before he set off on the trek, further adding to the family's concern.

“Time is of the essence,” Mr Nguyen said, “because ultimately, as much as we were saying he’s been missing since the 23rd, he’s had no contact with anyone since the 14th.”

Mr Yap's family reportedly contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs to liaise with the local law enforcement in Peru, but had no success.

A spokesperson for the foreign department said they were providing consular assistance to the family while awaiting a response from local authorities.

Mr Yap's family said they were preparing to travel to Peru if needed.