Search for German retail boss in Swiss Alps called off

BERLIN – German retail group Tengelmann says a search for longtime CEO Karl-Erivan Haub has officially been called off, six months after he went missing during a skiing trip in the Swiss Alps.

Haub disappeared above the Swiss resort of Zermatt on April 7. His family gave up hope of finding him alive nearly a week later, but search efforts continued.

The company said Thursday that Haub’s family and mountain rescue services have decided not to continue the search due to the lack of prospects of success.

Haub’s brother, Christian, was named as Tengelmann’s sole CEO after he went missing.

The brothers had run Tengelmann together since 2000. Its main businesses are hardware store Obi and clothing retailer KiK. It also has stakes in the Netto supermarket chain and online retailer Zalando.