Harry Greaves: Tragic backpacker from Oswestry was just hours from safety
Harry Greaves, the Shropshire man who died while backpacking in Peru, was found just three hours' walk from the village where he had been staying.
His father Simon Greaves, from Bronygarth near Oswestry, today said he believed that his son was returning from his hike when he lost his footing and fell.
"It seems he was just three hours' walk from safety," Mr Greaves said.
"Why he fell we may never know, perhaps he was tired, it might have been dark. It seems that he had done what he wanted to do and that was to spend his birthday on his own and had been returning. A post mortem may help to give us more information."
Harry's mother Sarah and cousin Lucy flew back from Peru into Birmingham Airport last night to be met by Mr Greaves and their daughter Ellen. They flew to Peru when Harry was reported missing.
Mr Greaves said: "Sarah has been able to speak to the people who knew Harry in Peru and they have said how happy he was and how much he talked about his family."
He said his son's body would be flown back to Britain at a later date.
The family is hoping to hold a memorial event in Bronygarth in a few weeks' time.
"The area in which Harry grew up was very dear to him," Mr Greaves said.
He revealed that it had been Harry's inspiration as a teenager that had led to the building of yurts for the people of Bronygarth to use as community venues.
"When Harry was just 14 he came home from school and said he wanted to build a yurt. They had done a workshop at school.
"I made a steam box in which to bend the wood and we set about building a yurt. When Harry went on to have a career furniture making he used that steam box to create many of his pieces. He also worked with me on the first yurt that we built for Bronygarth."
