Shock twist as grief-stricken mother of Aussie hiker found dead in Kazakhstan claims he wasnt alone before he died
The grief-stricken mother of an Australian man who died while hiking in Kazakhstan now believes her son wasnt alone before his death.
The grief-stricken mother of an Australian man who died while hiking in Kazakhstan now believes her son wasnt alone before his death.
Melbourne man Jake Michael Herd, 27, died of hypothermia near Big Almaty Lake Tian Shan mountains in the Central Asian country in May of last year.
It is believed Mr Herd died after falling in bad weather at an altitude of 2,500metres.
His body was recovered near the Ayusai River Gorge three days after he went missing with initial police reports suggesting he had been alone.
Jakes mother Wendy Costa now believes she has new evidence from her sons recovered iPhone that proves the opposite.
She claims photos on his mobile pictured two men accompanying Jake on the hike and the group sharing lunch near the summit.
Ms Costa said a recent chemical analysis of the contents of Mr Herds water bottle revealed 2.6 per cent reading of ethanol, which is found in alcohol.
He wouldnt have gone up a mountain with alcohol, he had water. His friend confirmed that, she told the Herald Sun.
Jake Michael Herd, 27 (pictured) was found dead near Big Almaty Lake, in the Tian Shan mountains in Kazakhstan in Central Asia, in May of last year
Wendy Costa (pictured) believes her son Jake was not alone when he died on the mountain
Jakes body was recovered near the Ayusai River Gorge three days after he went missing with initial police reports suggesting he had been alone
Ms Costa said a mans voice could be heard in the background of an video on the phone.
I think its pretty big, it shows that he wasnt alone and they kept telling me he was. He went up with water and he came back down with wine, she said.
He definitely socialised up there. He didnt buy any drinks over there. Someone else has given it to him while he was up there.
Ms Costa self-funded a trip to the Big Almaty Lake in Kazakhstan in May of this year in the hopes of finding some answers about her sons death.
She now believes the recovered video can provide more information on the events leading up to his death and is considering hiring a private detective.
