British Backpacker's Tragic Death in Patagonia Storm
Victoria Bond, a 40-year-old PR worker from Cornwall, was one of five tourists killed after a catastrophic 120mph blizzard struck a group of 30 hikers in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park. The British backpacker had been on a once-in-a-lifetime hiking holiday with four friends from Cornwall when disaster unfolded during their trek across the famous Patagonian landscape.
The Fatal Trek and Whiteout Conditions
Victoria was hiking with friends Hayley Newnham, 41, Tom Player, 39, Matt Smith, 39, and Christian Aldridge, 41, when weather conditions rapidly deteriorated. Despite checking forecasts that appeared unfavourable, the group claims staff at their camp assured them conditions were normal for early spring in Torres del Paine. Approximately one hour into their trek, the situation turned deadly as wind gusts reached 120mph and temperatures plummeted to -5°C, with wind chill making it feel like -20°C.
Tom Player described the terrifying whiteout conditions: "We were in a blizzard. You couldn't see anything. It was like being inside a white box three metres across and you could only see the person in front and the person behind." The freezing blizzard reduced visibility so dramatically that the group couldn't see each other and became lost in the nature reserve.
Failed Rescue Mission and Aftermath
When Victoria's four friends eventually reached safety, they realised she hadn't made it down with them. Some hikers immediately went back up the mountain to search for her, but tragically, rescue teams later discovered Victoria's body at the highest point of the mountain. The 40-year-old died of hypothermia alongside two Mexican and two German tourists.
All 25 survivors suffered minor hypothermia, with 27 of the 30 trekkers requiring medical attention for injuries including broken limbs, head injuries, frostbite and frost nips. The survivors have claimed that no rescue teams were deployed on the day the storm hit, leaving tourists to save themselves. Tom Player starkly noted: "By the time the rescue team arrived the next day, it was no longer a rescue mission. It was a recovery mission."
Victoria Bond worked in PR for Visit Isles of Scilly and was involved with the local Roseland Festival. She had previously worked in the luxury fashion industry as a fine jewellery and watch PR executive at Harrods between 2014 and 2015. Chilean President Gabriel Boric expressed his condolences, stating: "To the families, friends and loved ones of the five people of Mexican, German and British nationality who regrettably died in the tragedy that occurred in Torres del Paine, I send my most sincere condolences."
