A 28-year-old British mountaineer has died after falling approximately 200ft while descending from the summit of Torrecerredo, the highest peak in the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain, local law enforcement has confirmed.
The climber fell down a vertical gully on the eastern face of Torrecerredo on Thursday afternoon, the Spanish Civil Guard for the Asturias region said.
Rescue operation launched
Spanish emergency services received a report of a person falling at the location at around 2.20pm. A mountain rescue team was dispatched by helicopter, and the climber's remains were discovered after the crew conducted a flyover of the area, the Civil Guard stated.
Two specialists were lowered down to recover the man's body and his belongings, which had been strewn across the mountainside during the fall.
Incident details
The incident occurred during the descent from the Torrecerredo peak, at roughly 65ft below the summit, according to the Civil Guard. The mountaineer's body was subsequently transported to La Morgal, a regional sports and aviation facility in Llanera, near the Asturian city of Gijon.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said: "We are in contact with the local authorities following reports of the death of a British national in Spain."
Second incident in the mountain range
Torrecerredo rises to an elevation of approximately 8,690ft and stands as the tallest peak within the Picos de Europa mountain range. Sepa Asturias, the public authority responsible for emergency services across the Asturias region, confirmed it also attended an incident in the Jou Sin Tierre section of the mountain range on Thursday afternoon.
A 54-year-old French woman was taken to hospital following a leg injury, according to Sepa Asturias.
