Rescuers searching for missing 13-year-old boy in Svaneti

Six days have passed since rescuers began searching for a missing 13-year-old boy in the western Svaneti region of Georgia.

Ilia Pilpani left home on his bicycle at 11 a.m. on July 18 in the village of Lenjeri near the municipality in Mestia.

Anano Pilpani, a close friend of Ilia Pilpani’s family, posted on her Facebook page yesterday which reads that family members, relatives and even foreigners have been involved in the search operations not only in Svaneti, but throughout the country.

Ilia does not know Georgian, he speaks Russian. He lived in Kazakhstan and moved to Svaneti with his family almost a year ago. The boy has a ‘Slavic appearance’, light skin and hair color. His height is about 165-170 centimeters… The only witness who saw Ilia while leaving home on his bicycle is my brother, as we are neighbours”, writes Anano Pilpani.

The area in the vicinity from where the boy went missing is rocky and full of forests which complicates the search.

80 rescuers, drones and a helicopter have been involved in the search operations for Ilia Pilpani,

An investigation has been launched into kidnapping.