Father of missing UK hiker to fly to Bolivia

LONDON (Reuters) -- The father of a British backpacker who disappeared in the jungles of Bolivia three weeks ago will fly to South America to search for his son, police said Wednesday.

Student Luke Dance, 19, disappeared after he left fellow backpackers, telling them he planned to trek through sub-tropical jungle in Bolivia's Yonga region.

He missed his Sept. 15 flight home and has not contacted his family.

"We are extremely concerned. ... Previously he had kept in weekly contact with his family via the Internet and there are numerous Internet access sites available in the region," a spokesman for the West Sussex police said.

He said Luke's mother and stepfather, from Crawley in southern England, plan to set up a Web site to appeal for information.

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