A British woman from Cornwall was among five tourists killed during a devastating blizzard in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park, with a survivor describing conditions that turned their hiking holiday into a 'horror film'.
The Fatal Trek
Victoria Bond, 40, from Cornwall, lost her life alongside two Mexican and two German tourists when a severe snowstorm struck during their trek through the famous Patagonian nature reserve. The group was attempting to complete the challenging O Circuit hiking trail when tragedy struck on Monday, November 17.
Christian Aldridge, from Newquay, who survived the blizzard, described from his hospital bed how the group of approximately 30 hikers was navigating the John Gardner Pass at 3,900 feet elevation - the highest point of their trek - when the weather dramatically deteriorated.
'Suffocating' Conditions and Failed Shelter Search
"I find it very difficult to convey how horrific it was," Mr Aldridge told The Times. "It was suffocating, wind so powerful that you had to sit down and curl into a ball and turn your back to it so it didn't knock you down the mountain."
The group was just two miles from base camp when the blizzard hit and decided to press on in search of shelter. However, they later discovered that the refuge had been closed because park rangers had left to vote in Chile's presidential election the previous day.
As conditions worsened, the group made the fateful decision to turn back toward the Los Perros camp. During this desperate descent, Ms Bond became separated from the rest of the group.
Search Operation and Investigation
It wasn't until the remaining group members reached base camp that they realised some were missing. An initial rescue team comprising two group members and a camp staff member immediately began searching.
Tragically, the bodies of Victoria Bond and a German man weren't discovered until the following day by park rangers. The survivors were finally airlifted from Dickson camp to hospital in Puerto Natales on Wednesday afternoon.
Chile's National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) has launched an internal investigation "to determine any potential liability" following the five deaths. The probe comes amid allegations that park rangers were absent when the deadly storm hit due to compulsory voting in Chile's presidential election.
A CONAF spokesperson said: "We deeply regret this tragedy and send our solidarity to the families of the deceased and to all those who have experienced very difficult times in Torres del Paine National Park."
The circuit remains closed while the investigation continues. CONAF stated that there were 51 personnel on site on Sunday - the election day - and Monday, and that the first responders deployed were its park rangers.
Mr Aldridge and Ms Bond were part of a group of friends who had met through the same co-working space in Newquay. Describing their emotional farewell, Mr Aldridge revealed: "Before the helicopter came to take us we walked out and looked at the mountain and said some words about our friend Victoria and had big ugly cries. It's like being in a horror film."
