Appeal 9 years on: Family of former St Andrews University student who mysteriously vanished in Nepal ‘keep faith’ but say cadaver dogs may be needed for closure

The family of a former St Andrews University student who vanished nine years ago while travelling solo in Nepal are considering using specially trained dogs to detect human remains as a last resort for the possibility of closure.

Zisimos Souflas mysteriously disappeared on April 23 in 2012 after reportedly leaving a hotel in the town of Namche Bazaar, in the foothills of the Himalayas. It is thought he had set off for an acclimatization day in preparation for a trek to Mount Everest base camp.

Despite subsequent searches, and records showing money was withdrawn from his bank account four days after he went missing, investigations hit a dead end and there were no further reported sightings.

Zisimos is one of at least 12 foreign nationals trekking alone who were reported missing in Nepal between 2003 and 2012. Two months after he went missing, a young Belgian hiker named Debbie Maveau was found decapitated near a hiking trail in Langtang National Park.

Zisimos’s parents and his siblings, Luke and Sophie Souflas, are appealing once again to anyone who might have information that could help establish what happened to him.

Speaking to The Scotsman, Sophie said: “We are keeping the faith. We just don’t know what happened. Someone said to me once, don’t grieve if you don’t have to because you should not put yourself through that.

“The only next step would be getting cadaver dogs, but they cost thousands of pounds and, because of the terrain, the prospect of success is not great. It would, however, give the possibility of closure. It’s something that should be considered, as the last thing we can do.”

Left belongings

Zisimos's family are still searching for clues nearly nine years on from his disappearance in Nepal. Pictures: Searching for Zisimos Facebook page.

Zisimos, described by his sister as “adventurous, ambitious and socially active,” went to Nepal for a friend’s wedding in Kathmandu before taking a coach to Jiri and trekking for several days to Namche Bazaar, where he planned to start his ascent to Mount Everest base camp.

Paperwork shows he paid to stay at the Hotel Tibet and it is thought he checked out on April 23 - but he never returned for his belongings which included his phone, camera and some clothes. He did take his passport, some money and a backpack with him.

Miss Souflas said she would have expected her brother to bring his camera to take pictures during the trek.

Part of the difficulty in this case is that Zisimos was only reported missing by his family when he failed to return home on his flight back to the UK on May 15, more than three weeks after he was last seen. He had previously told them where he was going and that he would be out of touch for a while.

It was not unusual for Zisimos to travel solo around the world and he regularly carried out voluntary work in areas including Palestine and once toured through all of the countries in South America.

Zisimos, known to friends as Zis, was 27 years old at the time of his disappearance.

Miss Souflas said the authorities have not ruled out murder, but suspect he likely had an accident.

She said Nepalese police have taken the searches very seriously and, after he was reported missing, put up posters of his face in the area and along hiking trails.

About four months prior to his Nepal visit, Zisimos told his godparents that he applied to join the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, and before he left said he was unsuccessful. This information emerged following his disappearance.

There are several other missing tourist cases in Nepal but the mountainous terrain - prone to landslides, floods and avalanches - makes searches for them a difficult job for local police.

Advice published on the UK Government’s website says to never trek alone there, always use a reputable agency and remain on established hiking routes.

Around the time of Zisimos’s disappearance, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office had also been warning of several reported incidents where female trekkers had been attacked in Nepal.

Another high profile case in the Himalayas is that of 23-year-old American, Aubrey Sacco, who went on a trek in the Langtang National Park in 2010 when she went missing. Two arrests were made in connection with her disappearance in 2013 but the case remains unsolved.

Miss Souflas still runs a Facebook group, Searching for Zisimos, for friends and contacts to share information and ideas which may give some clues as to what happened to her brother.

Zisimos, who attended St Andrews University in the late 2000s, was from Sheffield but spent much of his time travelling abroad. He previously attended the fee-paying Gordonstoun School in Moray.

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