British botanist missing in Vietnam jungle
Fears are growing for a British man who has been missing in the Vietnam jungle for five weeks.
Jamie Taggart, 41, from Argyll and Bute, Scotland, failed to return from a plant-hunting trip in a mountainous region of northern Vietnam last month.
Inquiries by his family revealed that he had not been seen since 2 November, when his rucksack and passport were found at a guesthouse in the town of Sapa.
Local police and the British embassy in Hanoi were informed of his disappearance and searches of the area have been carried out.
His family were only aware of his disappearance when he failed to return on a scheduled flight home to Scotland on 29 November.
Speaking to the Scotsman, his father Jim Taggart said: "He is being searched for, so far without result of any kind. I only heard about it when he did not come home on the flight he was booked on. Something has happened to him, but not necessarily an accident on a hill."
Jamie, who runs the Linn Botanic Gardens in the village of Cove on the Rosneath peninsula, arrived at the guest house on 30 October and left on a motorbike taxi to explore the hills.
On 2 November, his rucksack and passport were found at the accommodation he'd booked into.
Mr Taggart also serves as a retained firefighter. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service area commander for Argyll and Bute told the BBC: "Jamie has served his community as a dedicated and professional firefighter and is a popular member of a very close-knit and highly experienced team at Cove.
"There are a great many people who desperately want to see him return home safe."
According to the Daily Mail, a Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said: "We are aware that a British national was reported missing on 31 October whilst in the Sapa Mountain area, Vietnam.
"We are in close contact with the local authorities and are providing consular assistance to their family at this difficult time."
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