Carol - Suggestions

Did I hear someone say that she "had never been happier" when it was suggested that she was depressed? Why was that? Could it possible have been that she had met a man with whom she could contemplate sharing a bathroom? Really out to left-field, that.

As the car cannot be found in local area, it seems, must say I am increasingly thinking 'hairpin bends, wet slippery leaves' and will suggest so to police when I call tomorrow for update. Between hairpin bends going up to Habère, areas are densely forested. A black car, in dark leaves and bark would not be easily spotted.

Elegran she would be amused about that. No men lurking, just the attraction of her beloved mountains.

Reading how Carol loves living where she does, how she enjoys a very civilised lifestyle in a beautiful place and also her wonderful holidays snorkelling in the Red(?) Sea, cruising down the Rhine or was it the Moselle? Added to that her pride in her grandchildren, her delight in Fiona's new house with the possibility in the future of a granny annexe there - I think she epitomises the perfect retirement lifestyle. Praying that her zest for life has not led to tragedy. I am tending towards granjura's thoughts though regarding wet roads, hairpin bends and deep woods.

granjura, That's exactly what I've been thinking. Even a confident and experienced driver with the right tyres for the conditions can have an accident.

Yes, Carol hasn't exaggerated the things she has going on in her life. She is pro-active and gregarious, but loves her own company and solitude, too. She's also such a dare-devil and I blanched several times when she showed me where she has traversed a stretch of mountain walk with room for tips of toes and sheer drop beneath!

I have to say that, in the absence of the car, this is exactly the conclusion that I have reluctantly drawn. I really do think that (unless it has been stolen) the car would have been sighted somewhere on a road or lane.

The police and others on the ground need to be looking for evidence of a skid - tyre tracks etc.

Let us hope they will pursue this line as quickly as possible.

I have read all the threads now (unless I have overlooked one) and I see that her phone was last used on the saturday, and that police are presumably looking into somehow tracking its last location.

ChippingIn and I are wondering if the British phone company have been informed? We understand that she had two phones, uk and french. Sorry if it has already been mentioned, I really have read as much as I can find.

I am a newbie on this forum but have known Carol via other forums for a number of years.

The major problem is that no one knows where Carol was heading, therefor to say that the gendarmes need to look for skid marks is asking the impossible.

The only hope is that a walker or a hunter comes across the car or indeed Carol.

Perhaps more concentration on forums/ websites/newsmedia and facebook pages in the department where Carol lived.

If someone is out walking/hunting they will just assume, if they see a car parked, that it is a fellow walker/ hunter.

The message needs to go out on the ground,flyers distributed in supermarket car parks, petrol stations,tourist information offices, chasse offices.

Perhaps the granddaughters were ill advised not to come to the area. They could have occupied their time by distributing flyers ,because I doubt if the gendarmes are doing that.

Perhaps Swissie? or someone else, being a French speaker, can search the internet for relevant French forums.

Here is one to get started.
www.chassepassion.net/le-forum

If Carol could have got to any working phone / internet access I am confident she would be in contact withe her daughter and family in NZ. She was so pleased about the house move taking place this weekend that she would be wanting to talk to her about it. I cannot conceive that she would ever be 'too busy' to contact home.

All those issues addressed grabagran. Hunters, ski/piste followers, cyclists, walkers, tourists etc etc all included. Carol chatted to hunters some of whom will remember her - their associations/communes have her info.

Fiona has just been in touch - moving house today, but she is maintaining contact and her family are updating her.

Like others on here I am suspecting some sort of accident. We have driven in that area quite often as DS had a holiday apartment in Chatel until very recently. In the torrential rain that frequently falls the very steep mountain roads are scary with loose gravel and a lot of water run-off. There are hairpin bends with steep drops at the side of the roads and I can quite imagine the scenario others have described. We drove through such a storm in summer and it was a white knuckle ride so I can't imagine it being less so in autumn.

Local forums, media, UK TV, radio 74, national, French and UK local papers carrying articles about Carol. Any new forums that will listen, please do add a link on the Updates thread and confirm you have sent them a message. Thanks very much.

Might it be possible for local tourist information centres to be supplied with tiny flier versions of the poster, so that these could be handed out to visitors with the request that, while they are out and about exploring the area, they look out for the car, or for any evidence that a car might have left the road?

Bump

And bump again!

Re above suggestion - I have a lot of experience getting people to events, and the key factor is something in the hand believe me! Worth a thought at least.

It is really the lowest season here. In the Alps, there is only 1 month which is totally flat with tourism and it is November.

Oh dear. Keep up the good work.

Mishap here was a hiccup with the local tourist office who refused to take posters, saying the police could deal with this sort of publicity. However, so many groups have been contacted direct with the poster and information that their involvement now would be negligible.

Anyone on Twitter ( and believe me, I'm only a novice) can you tweet
www.ledauphine.com/haute-savoie/2013/11/02/une-britannique-disparue-depuis-lundi
with#findcarol RT svp
to anyone/thing to do with the Alps etc. then look down their list of followers and find relevant others to tweet to.
@AIFrenchAlps @AnnecyActu@markowen24 .......for starters

Have done

Just thought about copies of the posters in the local supermarkets such as Petit Casino, Spar, 8àHuit, Intermarché. I haven't read anywhere that this has been done, I don't think?

Local villagers in Habere Poche were going to approach shops, restaurant etc, but don't know about across Haute Savoie.