An adventurer who was missing presumed dead in Himalayan storms has contacted The Argus.

Brighton engineer Peter Roddis, 26, was named in newspapers around the world as one of the dozens still missing following the devastating blizzards and avalanches in the north of Nepal.

Last night he remained on the official missing persons list, updated by the search and rescue teams who have been working around the clock to find survivors.

However, unbeknown to his worried friends and family, Mr Roddis was safe and well having not gone out on the Annapurna trail at the time of the storm.

In an email to The Argus from Nepal, he said media reports stating he was missing had worried friends and family back home.

Still in good spirits, he added: “I do appreciate being referred to as an adventurer. Thanks for making me sound cool.”

Intense snow storms hit the region last week with winds topping 100mph.

Hikers who survived the extreme weather spoke of complete white-outs and having to cling on to the side of mountains.

At least 39 people are known to have died, and nearly 400 people have been rescued.

Those that have survived have been left with severe frostbite with many having limbs amputated.

The Nepalese army and private helicopters had been searching for survivors on the trail for five days.

Last night they announced the search for survivors had ended with the focus now switching to recovering bodies.

Mr Roddis spoke to his girlfriend Lisa Hallett last Wednesday (October 15) to say he was going to head out on the trail.

In a post earlier this week on a website set up to help find missing trekkers, she said: “He said he was planning to head out that day or on Thursday but I have not heard from him since.”

It was feared the engineer had been caught out in the storms.

Friends and family endured a hellish few days before news finally came through that he was fine.

After seeing our story online, his girlfriend also got in touch. She said “I would like to let you know that he is absolutely fine. He was not on the trail at the time of the storm”.

Mr Roddis, an electrical engineer for Mott MacDonald, is now expected to fly home in the coming days.

His girlfriend Lisa Hallett, who lives in Worthing, works as a clinical scientist at Brighton and Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust.

The Annapurna trail is a popular spot for adventurous and tourists alike.

The 150 mile circuit reaches heights of 17,776ft and passes Mount Annapurna, the tenth highest mountain in the world.

The death toll is expected to rise in the next few days as more bodies are found by rescue teams.