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IMPORTANT! Please read. Missing Gransnet member in France

(412 Posts)
whenim64 Wed 30-Oct-13 10:28:11

Carol Sheridan, who we all know well as Greatnan, has gone missing in the French Alps, probably whilst out on one of her frequent mountain walks.

Carol lives in Habere Poche, in the Haute Savoie departemente about 20 miles from Lake Geneva. She is mad keen on hiking alone in the mountains, and will often take off in her car to find a remote mountain pass where she can walk and enjoy the amazing scenery.

On Saturday last, she was seen driving out of her car park by a neighbour, and she has not been sighted since. Police have made enquiries and advised she can be listed as a missing person this morning. Interpol, Wellington, New Zealand police and the French gendarmerie will cooperate in attempts to find Carol. (Her daughter lives in New Zealand)

Her daughter, Fiona Conyers, is coordinating a poster campaign, and local radio stations, the Mairie, people in the village, Commonwealth Office, British Embassy and several others have been notified. GNHQ have a copy of the poster and will try to assist.

Carol's mobile phone was active whilst she was missing, but is now showing 'call failed.' However, signals from it when it was active may help the search.
She drives a black Fiat Panda 4x4 reg: AZ 522 AP. she could be parked on a mountain pass, waiting for help to arrive if she has broken down. The walks she goes on are in very remote areas, but she does occasionally see other walkers and cyclists.

A group of Gransnetters has been busy over the last 36 hours, sharing information and supporting the family. A couple of fluent French speakers have emailed local radio stations, offered to speak to police and to give help with translations of information.

We are aware there are quite a few Gransnetters living in France and the Swiss borders. If you know of any walkers who will be in the French Alps today, please share this with them.

Finally, would you please avoid sending private pm message with your good wishes, as answering them will distract the involved Gransnet members from liaising and offering support to Carol's worried family. I know you lovely Gransnetters will understand, and we'll keep updating as we know more throughout the day.

Many thanks.

Psammy Sat 02-Nov-13 20:11:19

Good evening Gransnetters.

So glad to read that there is a possible lead on the car.

I wanted to relay mumsnetter bluebirdonmyshoulder's post for you here

"Taking a turn to bump.

Haven't read the whole thread so sorry if this has been thought of but does anyone know where else she's been lately? If there's any famous routes in that area (like the Haute Route or Wanderwege) is it possible she was doing it stage by stage and therefore looking at where she's been recently might give a clue as to where she might have been headed?

Just a thought."

As I thought it was a good line of thinking, possibly. I hope this car lead is solid though and the above is superflous.

Honeyball Sat 02-Nov-13 20:11:31

I don't want to get your hopes up at this stage but there has been a possible unconfirmed as yet sighting of a car similar to Carol's in the area where she lives.
Fingers crossed we get some good news soon.

granjura Sat 02-Nov-13 20:13:15

Will update as soon as we hear more.

Mamie Sat 02-Nov-13 20:15:51

Lovely to see you back Granjura and thanks for the update. It seems to me that the key is to get the story on the 19/20 France3 news and in the Dauphiné Libéré. Will they do this do you think?

Honeyball Sat 02-Nov-13 20:25:47

I didn't realise you were back on here Juragran and the page didn't refresh until after you'd posted so I didn't see that you'd already posted the info.

whenim64 Sat 02-Nov-13 20:32:58

Just back to catch up and the details coming out cry out that Carol was just following her average routine. Yes, she is on top of things, but would happily park herself on her sofa bed to read or listen to the radio, watch TV, leaving dishes in the sink amounts to a dish and pan that might be soaking along with a mug dropped in the bowl as she was leaving. It takes two minutes to tidy her apartment. I watched her do it!

The time of day she left has always indicated she was not far away, as she would want to be back before it started going dark. If she has parked up and gone for a walk, she would probably be in a two or three mile radius of the car. I do hope it's hers.

My thanks to Ganjura, too. Such practical and effective help, and near enough to turn up and berate them for inaction if they take their feet off the gas!

Oldgreymare Sat 02-Nov-13 20:36:33

Great to see you back Granjura many many hugs.
I have a strange feeling that the search needs to be closer to home as greatnan always seemed to post about her planned adventures. I think she popped out on a 'trivial' errand.

moomin Sat 02-Nov-13 20:41:49

Just logged on. Firstly, an enormous thank you to Granjura for all your invaluable help and secondly, please let this be Carol's car. I know we are all hoping, wishing, praying etc that this is the case and that we will have some news very soon

granjura Sat 02-Nov-13 20:46:05

Police went to location given and could not find the car. Info was given on a Forum,and the reliability could not be checked before passing to police. Totally deflated, I am so so sorry. Fiona has been informed.

Icyalittle Sat 02-Nov-13 20:47:17

At last some potential news, and it is so very helpful to read Granjura's informative post. I also assumed the police had been in before. If the car is confirmed, that will be such a step forward. Emailed, tweeted, followed, liked, prayed etc as have so many, many others.

Minty Sat 02-Nov-13 20:48:42

granjura, I am so sorry.

glassortwo Sat 02-Nov-13 20:49:42

Just read this on Mumsnet

Latest

"Police went to location given and could not find the car. Info was given on a Forum,and the reliability could not be checked before passing to police. Totally deflated, I am so so sorry. Fiona has been informed."

Damn. Sorry to be the bearer of disappointing news.

Psammy Sat 02-Nov-13 20:50:36

Copied by me from here, see Granjura's post above.

So horribly disappointing. sad

glassortwo Sat 02-Nov-13 20:50:48

Sorry granjura I didnt read the thrad before posting.

Ariadne Sat 02-Nov-13 20:51:20

Sterling work, Granjura! It is good to see you back. Thank you so much.

Marelli Sat 02-Nov-13 20:51:32

granjura, you're working so hard with this. No wonder you're feeling deflated.....

glassortwo Sat 02-Nov-13 20:54:00

granjura {{{hugs}}}

Sook Sat 02-Nov-13 20:58:42

It is good to see you back granjura

Psammy Sat 02-Nov-13 20:58:51

From mumsnet, bluebirdonmyshoulder -

"Sorry about the fruitless car lead.

This is a website showing walking routes in that region. It's very much a long shot I know but could anyone who knows Carol better and is familiar with her FB posts have a browse and see if anything jumps out at them?

Link

whenim64 Sat 02-Nov-13 20:58:58

ogm I agree with you - Carol doesn't do much on a Sunday but relax and go for a walk, weather permitting, then return and cook a Sunday dinner.

LaraGransnet (GNHQ) Sat 02-Nov-13 21:10:38

This again from the MN thread: bluebirdonmyshoulder

"Assuming the police looked in the right 'Habere'? There's two, Habere-Poche and Habere-Lullin. They're about a 5 min drive from each other."

Granjura, are you in touch with them? Is it possible just to ask them to double check.

whenim64 Sat 02-Nov-13 21:23:31

Habere Poche and Habere Lullin are distinguishable, even to idiots like me! The police will know the difference!

Gagagran Sat 02-Nov-13 21:25:04

On the Anglophone-Direct.com there is a post from Carol on 24 October last year detailing one of her walks where she got lost and it fell dark. Sounded really scary and she was out for about 8 hours sliding down dangerous slopes past steep drops on her bottom etc. She was on her way to somewhere called Clara when she got lost. Just a thought - would it be worth having a look round there again?

At the very least it show the sort of adventuring she gets up to and what may have happened again.

ZingWantsCake Sat 02-Nov-13 21:26:23

evening all, I've just registered (I'm not a gran), so I can post a link to second Mumsnet thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/1899869-Carol-Sheridan-Missing-Gransnet-Member-French-Alps-2nd-thread-KEEP-BUMPING

sorry, if this is not the right place to post it.

whenim64 Sat 02-Nov-13 21:28:00

Gagagran she said she had no intention of doing that particular walk again!