A British hiker has been found dead and a British woman remains missing after they were reportedly swept away by water and disappeared when a storm hit the mountains of Mallorca.
The 32-year-old British man was found after 10 people were trapped by flash floods near the Torrent de Pareis, a river in the Tramuntana mountain range on the northwest coast of Mallorca.
Local media reported that he and the missing woman, believed to be 26, were part of a larger group of five people who had ventured out on the hike on Tuesday afternoon when the storm hit.
Three people managed to reach a mountain hut shortly after midnight on Wednesday morning, and one of them was reportedly “slightly injured.”
The rescued tourists told rescuers that the British man and woman were swept away by the water and disappeared on Tuesday afternoon, prompting the Civil Guard to launch a search, according to local media.
The two British hikers went missing during a storm and are believed to have been caught in heavy rain which caused severe flooding in parts of the island. Pictured: Guardia Civil at the scene in the Tramuntana mountain range
The area where the British hikers went missing was hit by flash floods (pictured above) on Tuesday.
Police helicopter search team is scouring the area today for the missing British hiker
The Civil Guard reported that it rescued 10 hikers from several different groups, including those accompanying the man found dead and the woman still missing, who were trapped yesterday near the Torrent de Pareis.
Late this morning the Civil Guard provided more details of the horrific discovery and the drama that left 10 people trapped after the storms and heavy rain.
The Civil Guard yesterday rescued 10 people who were trapped in the Torrent de Pareis by a torrent of water, according to the first police force in its statement on the tragedy.
‘Our Greim unit set up an operation there throughout the day to prevent possible accidents with the hikers who were in the area given the forecast of heavy rains.
‘Taking into account the experiences of previous years, when many visitors ignored the weather conditions and ended up trapped by floodwaters, the decision was taken to put in place precautionary measures.
‘Thanks to this operation, and with the help of a Civil Guard helicopter, the agents were able to save the lives of 10 people who were trapped, without protective clothing and completely soaked, and they were transferred to a safe place with the help of guides.
‘Once they reached safety, the rescued walkers, two Spaniards and the rest French, German and British, told us that two members of a group of five who were among those assisted had been swept away by a torrent of water and that they had been unable to do anything to save them and did not know where they were.
‘A separate search and rescue operation was launched until dusk and resumed today with the help of firefighters.
‘That operation had so far led to the discovery of the body which could be that of a 32-year-old British man.
‘The operation of a woman of the same nationality continues.’
According to well-placed sources, the man’s body was located by the Civil Guard helicopter, near the place where the search was focused, but it is still not clear whether it has already been recovered by the agents on the ground.
A spokesman for the regional government’s emergency response coordination centre added: “The body of one of the missing tourists has been found.
The 32-year-old British national was found near the spot where police had begun their search near the Torrent de Pareis, a river in the Tramuntana mountain range on the northwest coast of Mallorca (archive image of the Tramuntana mountain range)
The Torrent de Pareis is a river that can be travelled during the dry months but is often affected by flash floods as it collects a large amount of rainwater that falls on the mountain and channels it through this narrow valley.
‘Police and firefighters are continuing their search for the second man. Psychologists have been called in to assist the family.’
The operation to try to find the other missing Briton continues. Police are trying to determine the woman’s whereabouts by triangulating her mobile phone.
The operation is believed to involve Civil Guard officers, helicopters, firefighters and dogs.
It was not clear whether the British man and woman were attempting to hike the famous Torrent de Pareis trail in the Tramuntana mountain range or were simply strolling near the riverbed.
The torrent is a channel that can be traveled during the dry months but is often affected by flash floods as it collects a large amount of rainwater that falls on the mountain and channels it through this narrow valley.
The heavy rains that hit Mallorca on Tuesday left between 70 and 100 litres of water per square metre in the Serra de Tramuntana area, according to Ultima Hora.
Storms hitting the island are expected to worsen today.
In Escorsa, where the mountain range is located, the Torrent de Es Racó overflowed, forcing emergency teams to rescue a hundred people who had been trapped.
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