Missing Brit backpacker Hannah Almond's heartwarming first words to uni pal revealed after being found homeless in Peru
Hannah Almond, 32, had vanished in Cusco,
, after being robbed and
.
Advertisement
9
Brit backpacker Hannah went to Peru on a yoga retreat to 'find herself'
Credit: Instagram
9
She ended up living on the streets after being robbed of all her money and passport
Credit: GoFundMe
9
Piero Villanueva had briefly met Hannah in Lima and was able to find her after she went missing
Credit: LR Noticias en Cusco
9
The tourist from Grimsby is said to have wrapped her arms around pal Matti and told him "I love you" after local Piero Villanueva found her
Piero - a Good Samaritan - had managed to track Hannah down after briefly meeting her in Lima.
Matti - who reportedly met Hannah when they studied together at
Leeds
Beckett University - had flown out on an urgent mission to rescue her.
He said: "I came straight off the flight, and before I got to my accommodation I got the taxi to drop me off at the main square where she was with her friend.
Advertisement
read more news
"She wrapped her arms around me and said 'I love you'.
"She was wearing superman pyjamas given to her by a friend as she has nothing to her name.
"Minimal clothing, no
money
, and no personal items like a phone or passport."
Matti also helped Hannah reunite with some of the pals she had originally gone travelling with.
Advertisement
Most read in The Sun
Speaking of Hannah's fragile state, he told
Fisherman survives 3 MONTHS lost at sea by eating turtles, birds & cockroaches after being blown off course by storm
"After some time she has expressed love and gratitude for me being here. We sat and had a bottle of water and talked about home.
"She didn't want to eat anything at the time. We have listened to some music that reminded us of friends and times back in Leeds."
According to Matti, Hannah has made calls back to home in Grimsby, with the pal ensuring she gets the help she needs and paying for her expenses while they remain in Peru.
Advertisement
Local hero Piero
In an interview with a local TV station, he described how Hannah recognised him and broke down in tears before agreeing to leave with him.
He said: "I have just found her. She is safe and well. I'd like to thank the authorities and the people who contacted me so I could help her.
"Hannah recognised me and approached me crying and I asked her to leave with me. Thanks God she's safe."
Advertisement
Piero had been liaising with the British Consul and Hannah's friends in a WhatsApp group, coordinating efforts to track her down.
9
Footage from local media shows Hannah and Piero walking through Cusco together shortly after their reunion
Credit: CuscoNoticias CTV47
9
Hannah's friends are now raising funds to help her get back home to the UK
Credit: Instagram
9
The Good Samaritan told local media Hannah broke down in tears before agreeing to leave with him
Credit: CuscoNoticias CTV47
Advertisement
He searched late into the night on Saturday after she was last seen near Cusco's San
Pedro
market.
He said: 'We searched from 7pm until 3am, and again on Sunday.'
Footage from local media shows the pair together walking through Cusco together shortly after their reunion.
A
Advertisement
A friend wrote: "Due to the help of everyone sharing the story, Hannah has thankfully been found and one of her friends is on the way to Cusco to persuade her to accept support and come home.
"We know she has been refusing help due to the complexity of her mental health, so it is most likely that she will need to be placed into psychiatric care before getting a flight back.
"This is an ongoing process but we are doing all we can to bring her back safely."
Another pal Sophie Wallace revealed the fashion graduate had travelled to Peru in March "hoping for an adventure" but ended up in a "terrifying and heartbreaking situation".
Advertisement
She said: "She was robbed and assaulted, losing her passport, phone, and all of her money.
"Since then Hannah's mental
health
, something she has long struggled with, has severely declined.
"She is now in the midst of a mental health crisis, living under a bridge with a homeless man she befriended — the only person she currently trusts."
Attempts to get her help through the embassy or police had failed, with Sophie adding: "She is extremely vulnerable, isolated, and not safe living on the streets of Peru."
Advertisement
9
All of Hannah's clothes were burnt
9
Hannah reportedly arrived in Cusco in March
Credit: Instagram
Fears for her safety deepened after she had her belongings burned and was evicted from her makeshift shelter under the Belén Bridge.
Mark Atkinson, the British Consul in Peru, said Hannah had arrived in Cusco in March and had not intended to overstay her visa.
Advertisement
He revealed her immigration status was now "in limbo".
He said that before she vanished, the embassy had offered support — including hotel stays and food — but she kept returning to
sleep
under the same bridge.
Local media reports say she is now 'being cared for and accompanied' and that repatriation procedures are underway.
Piero had spoken just hours before finding her about why he felt compelled to act.
Advertisement
"I met Hannah in Lima where I come from," he said.
"I decided to travel to Cusco at the request of her friends and family after seeing her situation online — she was sleeping under a bridge."
He added: 'She didn't have money or documents after being robbed.
"She was a victim of the insecurity in Cusco."
Advertisement
FCDO travel advice to Peru
THE UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against all but essential travel to certain parts of Peru due to ongoing safety and security concerns.
Affected areas:
Within 20km south of the Peru-Colombia border (Loreto region), excluding the Amazon River and triple border area near Santa Rosa de Yavari.
Valley of the Apurímac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers (VRAEM) — a known hotspot for criminal activity.
State of emergency:
A State of Emergency is in place until June 17 across the Lima and Callao regions, including key districts such as San Juan de Lurigancho, Villa El Salvador, and Comas.
This allows joint police-army operations and the suspension of certain constitutional rights - including detention without a judicial order.
Travel insurance warning:
Travelling against FCDO advice may invalidate your travel insurance.
Make sure your policy covers your entire itinerary, including adventure activities or volunteering.
Stay informed and read the full FCDO travel guidance before travelling.
Source:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish Dad still waiting to come home two months after release from Iraq prison
It will be two months next week since 'innocent' Robert Pether was released from prison in Iraq – but he has still not been allowed to return home to Ireland. Tánaiste Simon Harris's Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed to the Irish Mirror on Friday that the family in Ireland of engineer Robert are still waiting for his return, four years after he was locked up. People close to the situation told the Irish Mirror that there could be developments as soon as 'next week', with Tuesday (August 5) marking exactly two months since he was released. Mr Pether was arrested in Baghdad in April 2021 amid a €20 million contract row between his Dubai-based employer and Iraq's Central Bank. After a high-profile campaign that was reported throughout by the Irish Mirror, it was finally announced on June 5 that Rob, 49, was being released. Robert Pether pictured with his three children But wife Desree, 53 and kids Flynn, 21, Oscar, 20 and Nala, 12, are still waiting for him at their family home in Elphin, Co Roscommon. When Rob - who previously survived melanoma cancer and now has prostate cancer - was released almost two months ago, Desree said jail had left her husband looking 'unrecognisable'. Desree, who cannot speak to the media amid the ongoing situation in Iraq, has written online about husband not being allowed to return to Ireland. She said: 'It has been weeks since he was released from prison, extremely unwell mentally and physically, barely able to walk or eat. 'He should have been on the first available plane home and straight into hospital. Absolutely horrendous treatment of an innocent man.' The family of Robert Pether said his health was deteriorating rapidly behind bars before his release Desree appealed for help from supporters and wrote: 'We need help urgently. As this farce drags on, we have to now also pay for accommodation and food for Robert. 'We don't know how we will do that for even another month and there is our own expenses with no income. 'We've been living very frugally. We have nothing left in savings. Not a cent. We've lost our car and our health insurance. 'We are isolated in the country in Ireland. This has had a massive impact on our family. If you can help in any way or share we would be grateful.' A GoFundMe account in the name of Robert Pether has been set up and has so far raised over €17,000 of a €30,000 target. Desree, who has never spoken publicly about the behind-the-scenes efforts to have her husband freed, insisted online in recent days that Rob is 'innocent'. She wrote: 'There was absolutely no grounds for his arrest on 7th April 2021. He is a hostage. Three international court rulings found him innocent. 'A UN report published March 2022 finding he is in arbitrary detention, unlawfully detained and held for leverage.' She added recently: 'The entire case would be immediately thrown out in any regular court that follows due process, right back when he was first trapped and arrested. Every accusation fabricated and unsubstantiated.' In recent months, the family has experienced tumultuous upheaval amid the ongoing struggle to get Rob home to Roscommon. Youngest child Nala finished her childhood education with Rob still detained in Iraq. Desree said: 'And just like that, she's finished primary school. Off to high school in September. Absolutely in awe of her strength these past four-and-a-half years.' Rob, who is from Australia but his home is in Roscommon, was arrested and jailed on fraud charges, which he denied and which the UN claimed were false. The Department of Foreign Affairs is aware of Mr Pether's situation and has been providing assistance to his family in Roscommon throughout his detention in Iraq. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
Irish Examiner
10 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: We need more gardaí but facial recognition could help the force do its job
Many claims are made to support the widespread introduction of facial recognition technology (FRT). Mostly they relate to policing and the efficiencies which could be gained in an era when An Garda Síochána continuously finds it difficult to fill vacancies. This was underlined this week when it was revealed that 7,000 fewer drug searches were carried out last year, compared to 2022. They dropped 15% for the entire country, but by as much as 43% in Clare/Tipperary and 34% in Cork City. If this is a consequence, as officers maintain, of fewer gardaí 'on the streets' then what will happen when almost 1,900 members of the force become eligible to retire over the next three years? There is an inexorable logic to future demands that this shortfall be managed, in part, by more widespread use of technology. Unfortunately, that runs directly into mounting worries about civil liberties and the rights of ordinary citizens to pursue legitimate interests free from unjustified official intrusion and oversight. Politicians recognise the dangers of being portrayed as agents of some form of deep state. They have been slow to introduce body cameras for guards and our government is taking baby steps on plans for incorporation of real-time facial recognition technology into next gen surveillance techniques. Justice minister Jim O'Callaghan has said a bill currently before the Dáil will not provide for the use of real-time FRT but its future deployment has not been ruled out in cases of terrorism, national security, and missing persons 'with strict safeguards'. This would have to be considered for inclusion in any subsequent bill. Live facial recognition technology uses video footage of crowds passing a camera and automatically compares their images against a police database of people on a 'watch list'. Senior officers will, no doubt, be keenly observing what happens next door. The UK, along with Germany, is already Europe's leading exponent of CCTV with more than 5m units in position compared to the few thousand we have in Ireland. Now the Metropolitan Police, the UK's largest force, is set to double its use of live facial recognition to up to 10 deployments every week. It justifies the move as part of a restructuring to offset the loss of 1,400 officers and 300 staff in a budgetary crisis. Its new tactics will be implemented at the sometimes tempestuous Notting Hill Carnival at the end of this month. The Met's commissioner, Mark Rowley, says: It's a fantastic piece of technology. It's very responsibly used, and that's why most of the public support it. The problem for civil liberties campaigners resides in the last line of that quote. The majority of citizens don't like society being under-policed, something which they equate with criminals being given an easy run and producing the kind of gloomy results contained in the recent drug search statistics. Last year, British police scanned some 4.7m faces using the technology, more than double the figure for 2023. Most senior officers believe the cameras are on their way to becoming 'commonplace' in England and Wales. The challenge for our society is to ensure the law on FRT, and any protection it contains for the rights of citizens, does not get outpaced by its use. Crimefighting success in nearby jurisdictions is likely to increase clamour for its deployment. When happiness is the best revenge The tariffs announced on Friday for 69 trading partners of the US — ranging from 41% for Syria to 10% for the UK — have all the hallmarks of a running joke. But a joke of the worst possible kind, one which has gone on too long. Shoppers enjoying a hula hoop demonstration in Cork in the run-up to Christmas, 1958. Joan Anderson, who sparked the hula hoop craze in the US died this week aged 101. Picture: Irish Examiner Archive It would be easy to complain this morning but, to draw a lesson from Monty Python, it is better to look on the bright side of life. And there is plenty there to lighten our load. American scientists have just confirmed that the world's longest streak of lightning — a 'megaflash' — covered more than 500 miles, from Texas to the outskirts of Kansas City. Meanwhile a holidaymaker rockpooling on South Uist in the Outer Hebrides has rediscovered a species of jellyfish, Depastrum cyathiforme, thought to have been extinct for 50 years. If both these reports carry a whiff of what used to known in newsrooms as 'the silly season', then we commend the heartwarming story following the death of the Australian woman who brought the concept of the hula hoop to the US, igniting one of the biggest crazes of the previous century. Joan Anderson, who died this week aged 101, failed to gain financially from a fad which had hundreds of millions of participants. She filed a lawsuit against the toy company which exploited her idea and eventually settled for minor compensation. But, in a message we might all usefully reflect on in 2025, Joan said: 'Why be angry with something you can't change? The world isn't fair but life goes on. 'I had a great life. My husband lived to be 87 and we had 63 wonderful years together. 'Happiness is the best revenge.' What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here Last supper for Gregg Wallace 'Who's the Daddy?' It's just the sort of slang phrase you can imagine being used by Gregg Wallace at the height of his laddish popularity as a TV personality, something that viewers will be able to experience for conceivably the last time starting next week. Allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour and language were made against presenter Gregg Wallace after the forthcoming MasterChef series was recorded. Picture: BBC/PA It's certainly an adequate description of MasterChef, which in its various iterations, can be viewed as the durable forerunner of international format programming. From its launch in 1990, under the rather different stewardship of Loyd Grossman, it has been mimicked by a number of hugely successful shows all utilising a comfortingly predictable participatory and voyeuristic formula. What is common to all these programmes is that they contain lesser or greater amounts of humiliation for the contestants and the occasional soupcon of cruelty, presumably just enough to meet modern tastes without, showrunners hope, tipping over into something darker. The global MasterChef franchise has been better than most at attracting interest, watched by hundreds of millions worldwide. The upcoming series, filmed last year and which will begin on BBC One next Wednesday, was produced before allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour and language were made against Wallace. His co-presenter John Torode was accused of making a racist comment — euphemistically known as 'the N-word' — at a social gathering more than five years ago. He says he has no recollection of doing so. After an independent review by the Lewis Silkin legal practice, which also has offices in Dublin and Belfast, Torode was told that his contract with the BBC would not be renewed. The Silkin team upheld 45 allegations against Wallace including claims of inappropriate sexual language and one incident of unwelcome physical contact over a 17-year-timeline. The decision on whether to air this latest series featuring the two sacked presenters has been fraught. It has been on hold since the accusations emerged with the BBC deciding it should go ahead after most of the contestants supported its broadcast. John Torode and Gregg Wallace. The decision on whether to air the already-recorded latest series of MasterChef featuring the two sacked presenters has been fraught. File picture: PA/BBC/Shine TV Most, but not all. One participant wanted the whole show canned, and has now been edited out of the final version. 'For me, it's about the enabling environment,' she said. 'It's that complicity. Those individual powerful men do not [act] in isolation. There is an enabling environment, turning a blind eye ... it's about years of these institutions not being accountable.' Sincere though these expressions are, based on the evidence this seems extreme. All potential viewers have the sanction of the on-off button. How many use it is likely to determine whether we get to see the Celebrity MasterChef series and the Christmas special. Wallace looks to be a serious loser. His access to international networks is being replaced by his reported plan to launch a private chat room (€13.50 a month) for men over the age of 50. 'Real talk, real support — hosted by Gregg Wallace. Fitness, food, lifestyle, laughs. Sign up below and pop in to say hello' — says the blurb. It sounds a more measured approach than one of his responses to complaints made against him. On that occasion, ignoring the dictum that, when you are in a hole, you should stop digging, he hit out at 'middle class women of a certain age'. Perhaps this is a lesson learned. Perhaps chippy masculinity will come back into fashion. But that is probably not the way to bet.
Sunday World
13 hours ago
- Sunday World
Belfast man missing for over two weeks found alive in Paris
It's understood Robert Kincaid is currently receiving treatment at a medical facility in the French capital A Belfast man who had been missing for over two weeks has been found alive in Paris, his family has confirmed. It's understood Robert Kincaid is currently receiving treatment at a medical facility in the French capital. The 38-year-old, from the Tullycarnet area, was due to arrive in Dublin on the evening of July 17 but never boarded his flight. Robert Kincaid News in 90 Seconds, Friday August 1 The oil rig worker was returning from a stint working at a west African site in Benin and was set to board his connecting flight from Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris. On Friday the family confirmed that Robert had been found by emergency services. In a statement to Belfast Live, Robert's brother Louis said: 'Rab has been found by emergency services and is requiring ongoing emergency treatment. While he is not out of the woods yet, we are just glad he is alive. "As a family, we would ask for privacy in the time ahead as we deal with the situation.' In a post on Facebook, DUP leader Gavin Robinson said the news was a 'massive relief' for the family. "I've been with the Kincaid family this afternoon,' he said. 'They are delighted Robert has been found and are incredibly grateful for the public interest and community support. 'They would now appreciate privacy as they reunite with their son.' Louis and a family friend flew to Paris on Wednesday to meet with British officials and assist in the search. Ahead of the trip, he told this newspaper his last known point of contact was a video call with a friend made from a bar in the airport. He said: 'I think he was in the airport bar having a chat basically. As far as I'm aware, there was nothing bad said, there was nothing suspicious said.' A friend video-called Robert again, although a stranger answered the phone instead. 'It looked like [they were in] a tin corrugated roof building. They basically said the phone [battery] was on 0% in broken English,' Louis explained. The second and final call made to Robert's phone was picked up by a woman, but the caller was unable to make out what was said before the line was cut off. 'He doesn't have any contacts in France, but he is a very sociable person, he would make friends with anyone,' his brother added.
