British mountaineer dies in fall from Spanish mountain
A rescue helicopter was sent to the region to retrieve the man's remains and his belongings
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A young British mountaineer has died after falling from the summit of the highest peak of a Spanish mountain range.
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The man, 28, fell about 200ft while descending from the Torrecerredo – the highest peak of the Cantabrian Mountains – on Thursday afternoon, the Spanish Civil Guard for the Asturias region said.
A mountain rescue helicopter was sent to the peak early after 2:20pm following a call into Spanish emergency services.
They uncovered the man’s remains and deployed two specialists to retrieve him and his belongings.
Read more: Body found in search for 18-year-old British hiker who went missing in Romania
The incident occurred during the descent from the Torrecerredo peak, at approximately 65ft below the summit, according to the Civil Guard.
The mountaineer’s body was transported to La Morgal, a regional sports and aviation facility in Llanera near the Asturian city of Gijon.
“We are in contact with the local authorities following reports of the death of a British national in Spain,” said a spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office
Torrecerredo’s elevation of approximately 8,690ft makes it the highest peak of the Picos de Europa mountain range.
Sepa Asturias, the Asturias region emergency services group, said it also responded to a second in the mountain range on Thursday afternoon.
A 54-year-old French woman had an incident in the Jou Sin Tierre area of the mountain range, and was subsequently transported to hospital after she suffered a leg injury, according to Sepa Asturias.