A British tourist has mysteriously vanished while on a solo trip to the US. The 21-year-old was reportedly meeting a mystery man carrying flowers at the airport before her phone suddenly went dead.

Katherine Esther Gamboa Kerwood travelled to California for what was meant to be a week-long sightseeing break but alarm bells were raised when her family, from Portsmouth, discovered she had never checked into the hostel - after a text was sent stating she had on the same day. The missing woman was last heard from on Friday, but when worried relatives asked to speak to her on the phone, she allegedly stopped responding altogether. Loved ones have since stated that it is unusual for her to go quiet and not update them. She was last seen on CCTV at San Francisco International Airport with a man who she first met in the UK, as reported by NeedToKnow.

According to Jam Press, he has only been identified as 'David'.

Kerwood arrived on March 31 and had planned to visit several locations during her trip, including Sacramento, Calaveras Big Trees State Park, San Francisco and Santa Cruz.

The circumstances surrounding her disappearance remain unclear.

Authorities in the UK have been informed about the disappearance, with police in San Francisco now launching a search for the young woman amid growing concern for her welfare.

MORE TO FOLLOW...