Aidan Roche's family search Swiss Alps for Middlesbrough hiker

Aidan Roche went missing in Switzerland on 22 June

The family of a solo traveller missing in Switzerland say they will do everything they can to find him.

Aidan Roche, 29, from Middlesbrough, was last heard from in the Grindelwald area of the Alps on 22 June.

He was midway through a two-week camping and hiking trip when he lost contact on the Eiger Trail.

More than £23,000 has been raised to fund searches in the region. His brother Connor said the family were hopeful but realistic.

Connor Roche said his "adventurous" brother was an experienced camper and hiker who had bought a campervan for his Swiss trip in 2020, but his plans had been delayed by the pandemic.

He said Mr Roche "constantly" sent pictures and videos to friends while walking and the alarm was raised when nothing was heard from him for a while.

His last picture was sent from about halfway down the Eiger Trail, a popular walking route, on the afternoon of 22 June.

Aidan Roche was walking the Eiger Trail in the Bernese Alps (file photo)

Connor Roche praised police and mountain rescue teams for their searches which had included helicopters and drones but said the family would continue to fund future hunts.

He and several relatives have also been in Switzerland walking the route to try and find a trace of Mr Roche and they will be returning to the region again at the end of the week.

His campervan was found at a campsite and has now been returned to the UK.

Connor Roche told BBC Radio Tees the family was struggling to cope with the "unknown factor" of what had happened as well as a "feeling of helplessness".

'Hollywood story'

He said: "I don't know if it would be worse knowing what's happened to him or not.

"I want to keep up hope, its just you've got so many things running through your head of what could possibly have happened."

He said all the evidence suggested Mr Roche, who had packed food and water for a day-long hike, was "still on that mountain somewhere", adding: "If he could have found a bit of shelter he might have been ok, the longer it goes on it decreases that chance."

He said: "I hope it will be some Hollywood story where he's got down, hit his head on something and he's just forgotten who he is and he's gone off somewhere and doesn't know where he is.

"But we've got to keep trying to think realistically and prepare ourselves for what could have happened."

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said the department was "providing assistance" to Mr Roche's family and was in contact with Swiss authorities.