The mother of an Argentine hiker who disappeared on a popular South Island walking track more than a year ago says she continues to live with an “absence that hurts” every day.
Hector Gaston Artigau, 21, was hiking the Rob Roy Glacier Track at Mt Aspiring National Park, Otago, with two friends on February 6 last year when he fell from a rock into the river and did not resurface.
Police search and rescue teams scoured the canyon, river and surrounding terrain in the days that followed.
On February 13, search efforts found a number of his personal belongings along the riverbank.
Artigau was never found.
Now, a year on in Pergamino, a small city in Buenos Aires province, his mother Adriana Colamarde said that while time had continued to move forward, her heart had “begun to beat at a different pace”.
“A year ago, I lost my son Gaston, just 21 years old, while he was doing what he loved most, exploring nature, walking, feeling alive,” she said.
“As a mother, I live with an absence that hurts and with memories that sustain me.
“There are days when anguish and tears arrive without warning, yet I choose to remember him through the light - through gratitude for having been his mother.
“Although his journey was interrupted far too soon, Gaston remains present in every step I take.
“His way of living, of loving life and nature, endures as a silent and infinite legacy.”
Artigau’s former English teacher, Andina Kallenbach, said the young traveller had worked tirelessly to fulfil his dream of exploring New Zealand.
“I was Gaston’s English teacher, and together we built a dream,” Kallenbach said.
“We worked side by side on a project that would allow him to travel to New Zealand on a Working Holiday visa and spend a year exploring the country he was so excited to discover.”
She described Artigau as calm, gentle and deeply respectful, with a natural curiosity about the world.
“He had an innate need to travel, to walk new paths, to understand the world through experience,” she said.
But after just four months in New Zealand, Artigau set out on the trekking trip that would tragically become his last.
“In an instant, a journey full of hope turned into a devastating loss,” she said.
As a teacher, she said the experience had been profoundly difficult.
“We prepare our students to live fully, to grow, to dream and explore the world - not to encounter death,” she said.
“Remembering Gaston still brings tears, but also deep admiration. His kindness, his love for nature, and his quiet courage remain with me.
“Though his life was tragically short, the way he lived and the values he carried continue to speak, softly but powerfully, long after his journey ended.”
Family members say his presence is still deeply felt.
Artigau’s cousin, Juan Bautista Calomarde, said he would always remember him as a humble and supportive young man whose presence brought light to those around him.
“Gaston was and will always be a very humble and supportive young man,” he said.
“He was dedicated, intelligent, empathetic and deeply curious about everything new and unfamiliar.
“He was one of those people who, just by having them by your side, made life bloom and fill with joy.”
Describing him as respectful and hardworking, he said Artigau was someone who strived for everything he wanted to achieve.
“Words are not enough to describe my cousin,” he said.
“He went far away, and I wasn’t able to say goodbye properly. Today, I carry him with me in many ways. I know he is always by my side and always will be.
“Although we no longer have him with us physically, he rests and lives on in each of our hearts, accompanying us every step of the way. I miss him deeply.”
Gaston’s aunt, Mary, remembered him as a loving and gentle presence within the family.
“Little Gaston, a good child… you were always such a beautiful soul,” she said.
“You were always a good son, a good nephew, and so loving with your cousins and your friends, guided by strong values.
“I cared for you just as I did for your cousins, and I remember you with so much love. You will always be in my heart. Keep flying and take care of us.”
Otago Lakes Central area commander, Inspector Paula Enoka, said police had exhausted all available lines of inquiry.
“At this stage, the disappearance of Hector remains an open investigation, and we continue to appeal for information that may help us understand what has happened to him.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact police through 105, either online or over the phone, and quote file number: 250212/2832.