British tourist, 20, dies while climbing on dangerous path in Spain
A Brit, 20, has died after falling from a path in Spain while attempting a dangerous hike.
The man, who is currently unnamed, was hiking on the Caminito Del Rey, a pathway which is more than 700ft deep in parts, on Wednesday when he tragically fell and hit his head.
The Brit is thought to have climbed 30 or 40 metres in an area known as Puente del Mono, or the Monkey Bridge, at around 11am without ropes or a harness prior to his fall.
The 20-year-old was knocked unconscious after hitting his head, with his friends rushing to alert emergency services.
A mountain rescue team were quick to tend to the casualty, who suffered went into cardiac arrest.
Emergency services performed CPR before the 20-year-old was airlifted to a ‘nearby hellport,’ where he was unfortunately pronounced dead.
A spokesman for the Guardia Civil, the Spanish emergency services team which tried to save the Brit, said: ‘Members of the specialist Civil Guard Greim mountain rescue team based in Alora near Malaga, supported by a Civil Guard helicopter based in Granada, have rescued the body of a young British man.
‘He had suffered a fall while he was crossing a via ferrata in the area known as Monkey Bridge near to El Chorro.
‘When officers reached the man he had gone into cardiac arrest.
‘Despite practicing CPR on him and evacuating him rapidly from the scene by helicopter to a nearby heliport where medical services were waiting, they were only able to confirm his death.’
Caminito Del Rey is known as one of the world’s most daunting hikes.
The Brit had reportedly been climbing using steel fixtures, wires and ladders bolted to a rock face prior to his fall.
The path in Malaga was originally built in 1905 before being refurbished in 2015.
It was first constructed to help workers commute to the the El Chorro power station.
In recent years though, the site has become a tourist attraction offering stunning views for thrill-seekers.
The man had been trying to climb the 630ft Castilla-La Mancha bridge, the tallest in Spain, when he fell ’40 to 50 metres’ to his death.
The 26-year-old had been climbing without a harness.
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