HELP - Missing Tourist in Algerian Sahara

**Yves** · #1 12th March 2003

We neeed your help to rescue 2 teams, lost in the Algerian Desert
The rescue had been started by the autorities, but many informations are still required to support the rescue mission.
Please transfer this information especially to peoples who are actuelly travelling in Algeria!

Since 19.2. / 22.2. 2 independent groups of tourist are missing, details see below.

Questions:
- Did somebody saw the teams after the 19.2. or 23.2. for the car?
- Does anybody has additional information about the planed itinerarys?
- Any other information which could contribute the their rescue.

Group 1 - 4 Motorbikes:
Arjen Hilbers motor KTM GS 620 LC4 plate: MZ-74-GS.
Martin Hainz, motor Honda XRV 750, plate: MB-B-58.
Rainar Bracht,motor BMW R 100 GS black, plate: DT-NX-4.
Christian Grune, motor KTM LC4, plate: BX-77.

Arjen, Rainar, Martin and Christian have left Djanet on 20 februari towards Illizi and never arived there.
They took the Tarat East route using the following path:

Djanet -> Asphalt: till Oued Dider -> Piste: Oued Tizzeine -> Junction Oued Imirhou -> South of Djara Tessene -> crossing of Oued Tin Djaloussi -> Direction north east towards Ihr Tarara -> Fort Tarat -> Oued Tarat (direction north) -> Junction of Piste H. In Akeouet -> Direction West towards H. Tadjenout -> Towards Illizi

GPS coordinates are below:

All searches should aim at the Tarat route.
I have agreed with Petra that as of now I am the central contactperson:
Krein-Jan Hilbers
kreinjan@hotmail.com
kreinjan.hilbers@cgey.nl
mobile number +31 6 479 24 233
Phonenumber of parents and brother Bert +31 23 5383513

Please communicate in English as much as possible now. I speak a little German but a friend of mine translated this posting.

GPS COORDINATEN

TARAT EAST Route

NORTH EAST
H IDNT LATITUDE LONGITUDE
W 06001 +25.7702465 +008.6736345
W 06002 +25.6542587 +008.8203573
W 06003 +25.7408772 +008.8764677
W 06004 +25.7707024 +009.0028181
W 06005 +25.7297192 +009.0852680
W 06006 +25.7977715 +009.1031704
W 06007 +25.8098660 +009.1433811
W 06008 +25.8634014 +009.1278648
W 06009 +25.8853188 +009.1748209
W 06010 +25.9201965 +009.1648188
W 06011 +25.9976635 +009.2471199
W 06012 +26.1345196 +009.3503094
W 06013 +26.3050995 +009.3174953
W 06014 +26.4865131 +009.3662920
W 06015 +26.5667381 +009.3393373
W 06016 +26.5833607 +009.2097158
W 06017 +26.4752064 +008.8107214

Shot TARAT route alternativ

NORTH EAST
H IDNT LATITUDE LONGITUDE
W 05001 +25.1997585 +008.4460382
W 05002 +25.4540768 +008.6111021
W 05003 +25.5890408 +008.5753403
W 05004 +25.7618256 +008.6525116
W 05005 +25.9095058 +008.7198429
W 05006 +25.9973202 +008.7838411
W 05007 +26.0720501 +008.7996159
W 05008 +26.1061001 +008.7866049
W 05009 +26.1552391 +008.8162746
W 05010 +26.1747589 +008.8070860
W 05011 +26.2502346 +008.8470259
W 05012 +26.3687229 +008.8444700
W 05013 +26.4737186 +008.8066187
W 05014 +26.4961872 +008.4740963

-------------------------------------------
Group 2 Toyota HiAce 2.4
Toyota HiAce 2.4, 4WD, red, Swiss plate: AR 20341
Passengers: Marc Hediger, 43y. Reto Walther, ca. 35y., Silja Stähli 19y, Sybille Graf 19y.
They left Illizi on 22.2.03 and last confirnmed contact was 23.2.03 at Hassi Hadjadj (north of Oued Samene)

Contact person in this case: wernerbaumann@bluewin.ch

Route:
See: http://server9.hostpoint.ch/~redjemc...igerRoutes.jpg

Comment:
0) confirmed up to Ain El Hadjadjd, north of Oued Samane

1) very likely

3) unlikely

4) unknown

5) unlikely du to time constraints

7) unlikely due to technical constraints

8) Amguid impact crater: planed but very unlickely due to technical resons (fuel)

Web Coordination is through the sahara-Info.ch forum at http://www.sahara-info.ch/forum

Thank you very much for your help,
Yves from www.sahara-info.ch

[This message has been edited by Yves (edited 11 March 2003).]

[This message has been edited by Yves (edited 12 March 2003).]

[This message has been edited by Yves (edited 12 March 2003).]

**Sam Rutherford** · #2 13th March 2003

I believe that the 'bikers have turned up.

Still missing the Hiace?

Yves, can you confirm?

Sam.

**Renato Braz** · #3 13th March 2003

hi

are the bikers ok?

What went wrong?

renato

**Yves** · #4 13th March 2003

Bikers and Hiace crew are still missing, info that bikers were seen at Ouargla was wrong.
Search had been intensified in the graveyard piste area.

Bye, Yves

[This message has been edited by Yves (edited 13 March 2003).]

**Chris Scott** · #5 16th March 2003

Three more bikers are now overdue from Algeria and were thought to have been in the same area at the same time (Illizi, last week in Feb).

Full story at:
http://www.sahara-overland.com/news/

If anyone reading this is heading for Algeria (with sat comms - otherwise 2 Thurayas available) and can help in the search - or has very recently come back from there and may have news, contact Yves (see above).

Chris S

Cordial request. As one of the missing guy's brother has asked on the Swiss forum - can we keep any morbid speculation off this particular thread or indeed this forum. Positive support only svp ;-)

------------------
Author of Sahara Overland and the Adventure Motorcycling Handbook, among other things

http://www.sahara-overland.com

[This message has been edited by Chris Scott (edited 16 March 2003).]

**roro** · #6 17th March 2003

You say "lost" but why ?
Do you believe it's not possible they are victims of an attack ?
What is the position of Algerian authorities ?
Is there an official "depeche" about these disparitions ?

RR.

**Chris Scott** · #7 17th March 2003

Hi Ro, clearly 11 people dont get lost on a easy and well-used piste, but the Saharan Internet community, the Algerians and a whole lot more people besides are mobilised to find them.

All we can do is support them and hope for a positive outcome

Ch

**pierresas** · #8 18th March 2003

I'm in Tam right now and apparently all the tourist biker community in Algeria has been notified one way or the other. The situation looks pretty grim for the missing folks. The official word is that they drove around a police checkpoint in order to take a currently forbidden piste. People also say that there was some sand storms in the area.

Sorry for the bad news. All I can say is that authorities here are not kidding with tourists' safety. Talk to them and listen, we have been extremely well received everywhere.

Pierre & Merritt, on their way to Agadez
http://photobiker.com

**Yves** · #9 18th March 2003

Quote:

<font face="" size="2">The official word is that they drove around a police checkpoint in order to take a currently forbidden piste. </font>

Most times the military people tell you were to drive around the checkpoint at HBG! And driving from Illizi or In Ekker to HBG is normaly unrestricted.

Yves

**Barry Johnson** · #10 19th March 2003

I'm sure all of our hearts go out to the families and friends of the missing people. This could have happened to any of us in past or future trips in the Sahara or elsewhere.

I would hope that if this happens to me fellow overlanders would do whatever they could to help in the search. Please give generously to the fund set up by Chris Scott.

Praise and our most sincere hopes for a safe and successful outcome go to the people on the ground who are participating in the search.

Barry

**fireboomer** · #11 20th March 2003

Just wonna second what Barry says.
I hope for the best. My thoughts go out to the families, people involved in the search and the people missing.

Pieter.

**Renato Braz** · #12 20th March 2003

To the people involved in the search, please keep us with the latest news ok?

Renato
www.AventuraS3.com

**chris** · #13 21st March 2003

For latest info:

http://www.sahara-overland.com/news/ (summary in English)

http://www.sahara-info.ch/forum
(the coordination of search efforts -in German- )

**Sam Rutherford** · #14 22nd March 2003

Is there any aerial searching going on? The most effective way of doing it (also very easy to spot recently disturbed earth (buried 'bikes etc.).

Just wondered.

Sam.

**Chris Scott** · #15 23rd March 2003

That's all been done a week or 2 ago I believe, with army helicopters.

CS