The boyfriend of missing British hiker Esther Dingley has furiously denied their relationship was on the rocks and says she was ‘taken against her will.’
Ms Dingley, 37, was last seen on November 22 making her way to the summit of Pic de Sauveguard, a mountain between Spain and France in the Pyrenees.
Daniel Colegate, who met her at Oxford University 19 years ago, last night rubbished suggestions that she could have disappeared voluntarily, claiming that a third party must have been involved.
‘I am of course aware of the speculation in the media regarding our relationship, stoked by quotations from both police sources and people that met Esther during her time away,’ Mr Colegate wrote on Facebook.
Esther Dingley (pictured with her boyfriend Daniel Colegate) disappeared on November 22 while solo hiking in the Pyrenees mountains
Grainy CCTV footage (pictured) – the last recorded movements of Ms Dingley – showed her apparently querying the price of seeds with the store manager
‘So far I have been loath to even engage with such salacious nonsense, believing that it was nobody else’s business.
‘All I will say here is that the police officers actually investigating her disappearance have full access to our communications which reflect the truth that our relationship is solid.
‘Any comments to the contrary reflect a misunderstanding of that reality.’
Among the avenues of the police investigation, was that Ms Dingley may have been looking for a way out of her relationship.
This theory was put forward by French Captain Jean-Marc Bordinaro in December, who has been leading the investigation.
He told The Times: ‘Esther Dingley wanted to continue with her current way of life, journeys in a camper van and sporting activities including hiking, whilst Daniel Colegate seems a little tired of this nomadic life.
‘Did [she] want to go off on her own to live her life and organise her own disappearance? There is nothing enabling us to eliminate this working theory. This situation provoked some tensions within the couple, but nothing too much.’
But Mr Colegate said last night this was impossible and also ruled out any kind of accident because of Ms Dingley’s experience and the favourable weather.
‘Those of you who know Esther personally already know of her determination, physical strength and almost-inhuman tolerance for discomfort,’ he wrote.
‘Even if she had a broken leg, I have no doubt she would have still gotten down the mountain somehow, never mind take action to make shelter and become visible.’
He said: ‘Regarding suggestions that Esther’s disappearance was in some way voluntary, my response remains that she had neither the motive or means to do so.
‘She hasn’t accessed any funds or been seen anywhere, despite widespread press coverage.’
He acknowledged they have an ‘unconventional lifestyle’ and said they worked hard to support each other, calling it ‘a dance of individuality and togetherness’.
Mr Colegate denied the idea Ms Dingley would spark a major search operation by vanishing, rather than simply telling him she needed time alone.
He said: ‘All of which leads me to believe that somebody else has been involved in Esther’s disappearance and against her will.
‘This is a terrifying prospect and I wish I could believe otherwise, but I cannot.’
The last communication from Ms Dingley was a selfie she had sent to her partner (pictured together) from the top of the mountain
Mr Colegate has dismissed French police claims that she may have deliberately disappeared because she feared her nomadic lifestyle was about to end
Mr Colegate and Ms Dingley beside their camper van. He says he cannot believe that an experience and hardy hiker such as her could have had an accident as the terrain and weather were favourable
The couple had lived in Durham before they set off travelling around Europe in a camper van six years ago.
Since starting their new life they had hiked through the Alps, flew over the Nile in a hot air balloon, been free-diving in the Mediterranean and adopted a dog.
But Ms Dingley had journeyed to the Pyrenees alone, telling a fellow traveller she met a few days before she disappeared that she and Mr Colegate were ‘taking a break.’
Laura Adomaityte, 27, who lives in Spain and met Ms Dingley at a mountain shelter, was asked by authorities about her ‘physical and emotional shape.’
Ms Adomaityte said: ‘Esther said they were taking a break and didn’t know if they were going to get back together again.
‘When you’re not 100 per cent okay with your partner, you’re not going to be totally balanced emotionally.
‘She didn’t seem desperate to me but the last time we spoke was about a week before she went missing and in that space of time a person can have a lot of highs and lows.’
The hiker parked her Fiat camper in a car park in the Spanish town of Benasque on November 15 before setting off on her solo trek around the Pyrenees
French police have dismissed the possibility that a third party may have been involved in her disappearance. Pictured: A map showing the likely route she was taking
At the time Mr Colegate was house-sitting in France but had been in contact with Ms Dingley by text.
One message sent by Ms Dingley said: ‘I’m on a col/peak so can’t stop for too long. Can’t wait to read all your messages. Love you very much XXX having a really good time.’
Later she told him that she ‘might dip into France’ after heading for the Port de la Glere mountain pass.
The final time the couple spoke was via a video call.
‘We were both very happy to see each other so happy. We were also excited we’d be together again in a few days,’ Mr Colegate said.
Concluding his Facebook post last night, Mr Colegate wrote: ‘All that matters to me and Esther’s parents is finding her. We all still hold on to the thin hope that she might still come back to us safely.
‘Her face appears to me all the time, whether or not I am occupied with other things. I see her smile, hear her laugh, imagine the warmth and softness of her cheek and feel the touch of her hand. I still talk to her throughout the day.
‘In less than 2 weeks it will be our nineteen year anniversary. For almost 2 decades now we have shared almost everything, building a life together that was occasionally challenging but mostly full of joy and love. Without Esther, I cannot imagine my life ever having meaning again.’