A 28-year-old British man died after falling about 200ft while climbing Torre Cerredo, one of Spain's tallest mountains, just 65ft from the summit. The accident happened around noon yesterday, with emergency responders receiving the first alert at approximately 1.30pm.
Fatal fall on Torre Cerredo
Torre Cerredo stands at 8,690ft above sea level, making it the highest summit in both the Picos de Europa mountain range and the Cantabrian Mountains. It ranks as the 17th highest peak in Spain.
A doctor mobilised by a regional emergency response coordination centre confirmed about an hour after the alert that the British mountaineer had died. Firefighters protected the body until a Civil Guard helicopter carrying mountain search and rescue experts arrived to winch him away after a forensic search of the area and recovery of his belongings.
Rescue and recovery operation
His remains were transported to La Morgal, a regional sports, aviation and emergency services complex in Llanera near the Asturian cities of Oviedo and Gijon, where funeral parlour workers were waiting.
A regional emergency services responder confirmed details of the incident: “The alert was received at 1.27pm yesterday, reporting a person had fallen 40 to 60 metres and had possibly died. The Civil Guard was informed and a rescue group doctor was sent to confirm the condition of the person who had fallen so the GREIM mountain search and rescue team could be deployed in the event of a fatality. At 2.18pm the rescue doctor confirmed the climber’s death but had to remain at the scene, guarding the body, until 3.28pm when the Civil Guard helicopter with the GREIM experts on board arrived in the area. The deceased person's remains were also transported in the Civil Guard aircraft to La Morgal, where funeral services were waiting, as requested by the police force.”
Uncertain circumstances
It was not immediately clear this morning who had raised the alarm and whether the unnamed British man had been alone or accompanied by family or friends. One local report said he was near the summit when he fell, while another said he was on his way down. The Mirror has contacted the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for comment.
On September 19, a Norwegian hiker died in an accident on the Cares Trail, one of the most popular trekking paths within the Picos de Europa. The 71-year-old slipped after losing his balance and plunging several feet as he tried to put a heavy rucksack on his back.
At the end of May, a British woman died after falling around 500 metres (1,650ft) on the slopes of Balaitus Peak in the Pyrenees. She was crossing an area called the Great Diagonal, one of the most popular and accessible climbing routes to its 3,144 metre (10,277ft) peak, when she fell. Her 53-year-old partner was unharmed in the incident, in the municipality of Salient de Gallego in the province of Huesca. Police sources confirmed at the time the dead woman was British and was born in the UK but lived in Finland like the man she was with, whose nationality has not been made public. The alarm was raised around 7.20pm on May 30.
