The friend who flew out to rescue British tourist Hannah Almond after she disappeared in Peru has revealed her first words after they were reunited.
Ms Almond, 32 from Grimsby, went missing after being violently robbed by locals and left sleeping under a bridge with no money or passport for a month.
She was found on Sunday by Peruvian Good Samaritan Piero Villanueva, before a friend ‘Matti’ immediately caught a flight to Cusco to try and bring her home.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Matti told how when he was reunited with Hannah on Tuesday she had been wearing the same Superman pyjama bottoms and a ‘Friends’ t-shirt for almost a week after locals burned all her other clothes.
He said: ‘I came straight off the flight, and before I got to my accommodation I got the taxi to drop me off at the main square where she was with her friend.
‘She wrapped her arms around me and said “I love you”.
‘She was wearing superman pajamas given to her by a friend as she has nothing to her name. Minimal clothing, no money, and no personal items like a phone or passport.
‘I think she was left with only the clothes that she was wearing from the fire.
Hannah Almond, 32 from Grimsby, went missing after being violently robbed by locals but was found on Sunday by Peruvian Good Samaritan Piero Villanueva. Pictured: The two after the rescue
Mr Villanueva (left) travelled to Cusco to help Hannah Almond (right) after he learned of her ordeal
Ms Almond was feared to have been trafficked after vanishing in Peru
‘When she saw Mila her friend from Grimsby who lives in Peru, they danced down the street which was lovely to see
‘I think she was overwhelmed when I saw her if I’m honest. After some time she has expressed love and gratitude for me being here.
‘We sat and had a bottle of water and talked about home. She didn’t want to eat anything at the time. We have listened to some music that reminded us of friends and times back in Leeds.’
Soon after they were reunited, Hannah used Matti’s phone to make a tearful phone call to her grandmother back in the UK to let her know she is safe. During the call ‘she burst into tears for about 10 minutes and then a lot of love was expressed’.
Matti has also bought her clothes and food.
Friends had previously revealed Hannah had gone to Peru in March ‘hoping for adventure’ and to ‘find herself’ at a yoga retreat but instead ‘found herself in a terrifying and heartbreaking situation’.
She was robbed and assaulted, losing her passport, phone and all of her money, a GoFundMe page revealed, and after sleeping on the streets for a month she was attacked by locals, who set fire to her belongings – leaving her sleeping rough.
Struggling to deal with the brazen attack, they said her mental health had ‘severely declined’ and ‘in the midst of a mental health crisis’ she had begun ‘living under a bridge with a homeless man she befriended’ in Cusco.
Mr Villanueva had been in contact with the consul and Ms Almond’s friends, working together to follow her movements after she disappeared on May 24
He told local news he was ‘talking with her mum’ to plan next steps for Ms Almond
Ms Almond, 32, had been in Peru since March on a yoga retreat
Trauma from the attack has left Ms Almond too scared to accept help from embassy officials
Even after she was found, friends said she refused to accept assistance, with psychosis triggered by the trauma of being violently robbed leaving her too frightened to engage with officials or locals.
Hannah is now recovering from her ordeal at Mila’s house which is around an hour away from Cusco.
Matti, who knows Hannah from her time as an arts student at Leeds Beckett University, said when he first saw her he noticed his friend’s skinny appearance after living homeless in Cusco for more than a month.
He added: ‘She looked skinny, but generally ok considering the circumstances.
‘Conversation was very spaced out, and she didn’t tell me a lot about what’s happened. I can see that what she has been through is really affecting her mindset
‘She hasn’t told me much about what has happened, as I can see there is a mental block around what’s happened out here. She’s definitely trying to shut it out.’
A GoFundMe page set up by Hannah’s friends has raised almost £10,000 including from MailOnline readers. Hannah hadn’t been aware of the fundraising until Matti told her.
‘When I told her about the fundraiser she felt joy and love,’ he said. ‘She smiled and said thank you so much for supporting her.’
Ms Almond was left stranded, penniless and unable to reliably contact her family after the attack
All of her belongings were burnt (above) after she was robbed in Peru
Mark Atkinson, the British Consul in Peru, told local media Ms Almond arrived in Cusco in early March as a tourist and did not plan to overstay her visa, however her immigration status is now in limbo.
‘She is in an illegal situation. Her tourist visa has already expired,’ Atkinson explained.
Adding that the embassy is coordinating with local police and has also offered direct support, including hotel accommodations and money for food but she keeps returning to the same bridge.
‘Sometimes we’ve paid for hotel stays, given her money for food, that sort of thing. But she always ends up coming back here,’ he added.
More than 100,000 Brits travel to Peru every year, with most stopping in Cusco – the gateway to Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail.
Travel advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office warns that a number of British tourists have been targeted by armed robbers in recent years.
It says: ‘Personal attacks, including sexual assaults, are infrequent but do happen, mostly in the Cusco and Arequipa areas.’