Hiker found after vanishing in Victoria

A missing hiker has been found after he vanished while going for a walk in dense bushland.

Hiker Richard Johns disappeared while making his way from Halls Gap. Picture: Philip Young

A hiker has been found “safe and well” after going missing in the Victorian wilderness, a week after a grandfather failed to return from a walk in the state’s Alpine region.

Richard Johns set off alone on a hike from Halls Gap to Boroka Lookout in the Grampians about 2pm on Saturday.

The 52-year-old Englishman failed to return and the alarm was raised on Sunday morning after his friends and family had not heard from him, Victoria Police said.

Officers on the ground along with the Air Wing unit searched for the missing hiker, along with Parks Victoria and State Emergency Services personnel.

Hiker Richard Johns went missing after leaving Halls Gap in Victoria. Photo: Victoria Police

Just after midnight on Monday, police announced the missing British hiker had been found safe and well.

It comes after police scaled back the search for 70-year-old missing grandfather Christos in the Dinner Plain area.

He was last seen going for a walk on May 13 to spot emus.

“The extreme conditions faced by someone lost in this harsh and unique alpine environment has shaped search efforts to date,” Victoria Police said on Saturday.

The search for missing man Christos has scaled back. Photo: Supplied

They scaled back their search and said they would continue to assess all possibilities while maintaining smaller-scale searches in the coming days.

If new information comes to light the search efforts would escalate, the force said in a statement.

They urged any tourists such as hikers, riders and people walking through the area to contact authorities if they see the beloved grandfather or items that could assist in tracking him.