British father Steven Harper, 38, plummets from a cliff to his death in Italy after collecting and eating wild mushrooms, causing him to go ‘frenzied’ while attempting to cycle to India
- Steven Harper, 38, tried to cycle from his home in Dundee to India
A British father-of-two plunged to his death over a cliff in Italy after going ‘frenzied’ while collecting and eating wild mushrooms, his devastated family have revealed.
Steven Harper, 38, was on a cycling trip from Dundee to India but his family raised the alarm in December after being out of touch for almost a month.
It has now emerged that he fell from a cliff in Ventimiglia, six kilometers from the French-Italian border, on November 23.
His family believes he became disoriented by the toxins from the mushrooms he ate while foraging for food.
His last known message stated that he felt ill after preparing a meal with mushrooms and noodles.
Steven Harper was trying to cycle from Dundee to India when he lost contact with his family near Monaco on November 23
Steven is pictured with his brother Dale (right)
Steven’s brother Dale Harper, 40, from Dundee, who launched an online appeal to find his missing sibling, traveled to Italy earlier this month to identify his body.
In a post on Facebook he wrote: ‘The search ended in heartbreak when Steven’s body was discovered in Italy.
‘He had sufficient resources to survive, but may have made a fatal mistake with the mushrooms.
‘His death was attributed to a fall from a cliff, possibly due to disorientation caused by toxins from mushrooms.
“I had to grapple with the loss, the responsibility of identifying his body and the realization of his last moments in a place he loved.”
Dale said the Italian police report concluded that Steven had died when he fell from a cliff on November 23, an hour after his last message.
He was seen falling and nearby workers came to his rescue.
A helicopter was immediately sent, but he died due to internal bleeding from the fall.
His identity documents had been stolen during a robbery while he was cycling through Barcelona earlier on his trip.
Steven fell from a cliff in Ventimiglia, six kilometers from the French-Italian border, on November 23
His brother added: ‘We are still waiting for the toxicology report but from the evidence we have it seems very likely that Steven became delirious from the toxins, lost his balance and fell with his belongings.
“It comforts me to know that he did what he wanted to do, that he lacked nothing, that in his last moments he was surrounded by people in a place where he always said he wanted to die.”
Steven’s mother Angela Bear also paid tribute to him on Facebook.
She said, “My beautiful, adventurous son’s journey in this world has come to an end. Steven lived his absolute best life to the fullest and found joy in every step he took and every life he touched.
“He loved life and wanted to inspire others to see the world.”
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: ‘We are supporting the family of a British man and are in contact with local authorities.’