Zain Waliany, Atlanta hiker missing in Guatemala found: family

ATLANTA — The family of an Atlanta man who went missing while hiking in Guatemala has been found safe, they confirmed to 11Alive.

Zain Waliany, 26, was hiking the Acatenango volcano, near the town of Antigua, with friends when they became separated. He had been missing since May 21.

On Saturday, Waliany’s sister, Emen, shared her relief with 11Alive, confirming that he had been found alive. She said he was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Hiking Acatenango is described as one of the “must-do” experiences for any nature lover and adventure seeker visiting this Central American country. Waliany’s youngest sister previously told 11Alive that this is what he has been planning to do for some time.

“He’s very happy with it,” she said. “He really wanted to take a hike and see it.”

Waliany and his friends arrived in the area late last week and began their hike on Tuesday.

Emen said his father received a call from his brother, who left a message saying he was going hiking, which would be the last time the family would hear from him.

During the hike, there was a point where Waliany and his friend became separated. His sister said it looked like he had turned around or was basically lost. They are not sure if he ever managed to find his way back to the marked trails.

His friend who accompanied him waited for a while then turned around after Waliany never showed up at their meeting point. Waliany never arrived, so his friend contacted the authorities to start searching. Emen said his brother’s friend, who was hiking with him, also paid locals to help with the search efforts, which had been underway since Tuesday evening.

Now, with him safely returned, the family told 11Alive they are just waiting for him to be treated at the hospital before he is allowed to come home.