Peru Finds Missing Australian Hiker Dead After 25 Days
TRAVEL · PERU
Key Facts
- —The country Peru, a top Andean trekking destination for foreign visitors, where the Cordillera Huayhuash circuit draws hikers to remote high valleys.
- —Why it matters The death of a solo Huayhuash hiker is a warning for American and other foreign trekkers planning unguided routes in the high Andes.
- —Why now Rescue teams found the body on Friday 9 October, and Peru’s state news agency Andina reported the find on Saturday 10 October.
- —What happened An Australian man, 31, missing since 14 September, was found dead in Machaycancha, Queropalca district, Huánuco region, after 25 days.
- —What it means for you Solo trekkers should carry a working satellite device, leave a detailed route with someone and consider a licensed guide or arriero.
- —Still open The cause of death, where exactly he left the planned route and when repatriation will take place.
A solo Huayhuash hiker from Australia has been found dead in the Peruvian Andes, 25 days after he was last heard from. Rescue teams located his body on Friday 9 October in a remote valley of the Huánuco region. The case is a stark reminder for American and other foreign trekkers that the high Andes leave little room for error.
Peru’s state news agency Andina named the man as Jap Jordan Hao, 31. He was found in the Machaycancha sector of Queropalca district, in Lauricocha province. The agency said the circumstances of his death are under investigation.
Australian media had reported in September that a Melbourne hiker named Jordan Yap, 30, was missing on the same trek. The dates and route in those reports match the Peruvian account. Peruvian officials have not publicly addressed the difference in spelling and age.
How the Search Unfolded
According to Andina, the hiker left the city of Huaraz, in the Áncash region, to walk the Huayhuash circuit alone. He planned to finish in about ten days.
His last known contact was a WhatsApp message on Monday 14 September, sent before he set off. He was due back in Huaraz on Wednesday 23 September to collect his belongings.
He was then meant to travel to Lima and fly to Cusco the next day. When he missed that flight, family and friends raised the alarm.
Andina reported problems with his satellite communication device. As a result, searchers had no confirmed GPS position to work from.
The Asociación Socorro Andino Peruano, a Peruvian mountain rescue association, led the search with the National Police and specialist rescuers. Its president, Eric Raúl Albino Lliuya, said teams first checked the places the hiker had planned to visit.
According to Infobae Perú, he was last seen at a hostel in Huaraz. He took private transport to the Cuartelhuain trailhead, with stops planned at Mitucocha, Carhuacocha, Huayhuash and Viconga.
He trekked without an agency, a guide or logistics support. That forced police to search side routes far from the usual circuit.
Officers from the police high-mountain unit covered Cuartelhuain, Carhuacocha, Huayllapa, Viconga, Llamac and Pocpa. Guides, climbers, muleteers and local residents were also asked to share any sightings.
In Australia, his father, Vinh Dao, told the ABC that his son was an experienced hiker. He said this was one of his first solo trips.
The family also hired a private mountain rescue team in Peru. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the country’s foreign ministry, said in September it was giving the family consular help.
What Officials Have Said
After the find, staff from the Second Provincial Corporate Criminal Prosecutor’s Office of Lauricocha went to the site. Officers from the Baños police station joined them for the legal formalities, La República reported.
The body was moved to the morgue in Huánuco, the regional capital. Prosecutors have not said whether a fall, exposure or illness caused the death.
The Spanish news agency EFE, citing local media, said the body lay at about 3,800 metres. That figure has not been confirmed by Peruvian officials.
Diario Correo called the Cordillera Huayhuash one of Peru’s leading mountain destinations. The paper said the case shows how terrain and weather can slow searches in the high Andes.
What It Means for You
The Cordillera Huayhuash is a classic multi-day trek in the Peruvian Andes. Most trekkers start from Huaraz, the hub for road transport to the trailheads.
For US travellers, this Huayhuash hiker case carries practical lessons. A satellite messenger is only useful if it works, so test it before leaving town.
Share a day-by-day route and a firm return date with someone at home. Agree on what that person should do if you miss a check-in.
Consider hiring a licensed guide or a local arriero, the muleteers who know the valleys. Going alone removes the people most likely to notice a problem quickly.
Check your travel insurance for mountain search and rescue cover. Private searches, like the one this family paid for, can be costly.
For the wider picture on safety, see our report Peru Travel Advisory Stays at Level 2 and Excludes Cusco. Peru’s mountains have also seen other recent incidents, such as Humantay Avalanche in Peru: Tourists Filmed the 23 September Slide, No One Hurt.
None of this means the circuit is closed or off limits. Peru has an organised mountain rescue network, and police, guides and residents joined this search.
What Is Not Known
The cause and the date of death have not been released. Officials have not said how far from his planned route the Huayhuash hiker was found.
It is not clear what went wrong with his satellite device. Peruvian authorities have not commented on the spelling of his name or his age as reported in Australia.
Australia’s foreign ministry has not publicly commented on the find. Plans for repatriation of the body have not been announced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the hiker found dead in the Cordillera Huayhuash?
Peru’s state news agency Andina identified him as Australian citizen Jap Jordan Hao, 31. Australian media had reported a Melbourne hiker named Jordan Yap, 30, missing on the same trek.
When and where was the body found?
Rescue teams found the body on Friday 9 October in the Machaycancha sector of Queropalca district, Lauricocha province, in Peru’s Huánuco region.
Do officials know how he died?
No. Prosecutors in Lauricocha and the Baños police station opened an inquiry, and the body was taken to the morgue in Huánuco. No cause of death has been released.
Sources: Andina; La República; Infobae Perú; Diario Correo; Exitosa; EFE via Infobae; ABC Australia; 7NEWS.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief