British Woman Dies After 500m Fall From Balaitús Peak in Spanish Pyrenees
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 1
British Woman Dies After 500m Fall From Balaitús Peak in Spanish Pyrenees
4 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 1
A 42-year-old British woman was declared dead at the scene after falling about 500 meters while descending near the Gran Diagonal on Balaitús Peak, close to the Spain-France border.
The alarm was raised around 19:30 local time on Saturday, and Spain's Civil Guard sent its GREIM mountain rescue team and the Huesca Air Unit to the site.
The woman's 53-year-old male companion was unharmed; authorities said the British national, who lived in Finland, was taken to Zaragoza's Forensic Medicine Institute for a post-mortem.
Civil Guard officials said the death is being treated as a tragic accidental fall, with a report and post-mortem results to be sent to a local investigating court.
The fatality came after nine Pyrenees mountain rescues between May 26 and May 30, prompting the Civil Guard to urge hikers to check routes and weather and carry water, charged devices and sun protection.
Why did a popular and 'accessible' Pyrenees hiking route turn deadly for a British woman?
Are unprepared hikers or a changing climate fueling the deadly surge in Pyrenees mountain accidents?