A British hiker has been found dead and a British woman is still missing, reportedly swept away and disappeared as a storm battered the mountains of Mallorca.
The 32-year-old British man was found after 10 people became trapped by flash floods near the Torrent de Pareis, a river in the Tramuntana mountains on the northwest coast of Mallorca.
According to local media, he and the missing woman were part of a larger group of five who had set out on Tuesday afternoon when the storm hit.
Three of them managed to reach a safe mountain hut just after midnight on Wednesday morning. One of them was reportedly ‘slightly injured’.
The rescued tourists told rescuers that the British man and woman had been swept away by the water and disappeared on Tuesday afternoon, prompting the Guardia Civil to launch a search, local media reported.
The two British hikers went missing during a storm and are believed to have been caught in heavy rain, causing severe flooding in parts of the island. Pictured: Guardia Civil on the ground in the Tramuntana Mountains)
The area where the British hikers disappeared was hit by flash flooding on Tuesday (pictured above)
Police helicopter searches the area today for missing British hiker
The Guardia Civil said it had rescued 10 hikers from different groups, including those who were walking with the dead man and the still missing woman, who were trapped yesterday near the Torrent de Pareis.
Late this morning, the Guardia Civil gave more details about the gruesome discovery and the drama that left ten people trapped by storms and heavy rain.
In their first statement on the tragedy, the police said: ‘The Guardia Civil yesterday rescued 10 people trapped in the Torrent de Pareis by a flood of water.
‘Our Greim unit has been conducting operations throughout the day to prevent possible accidents involving hikers in the area, given the forecast heavy rainfall.
‘Given the experiences of previous years, where many visitors ignored the weather conditions and ended up getting stuck due to high water, it was decided to take precautionary measures.
‘Thanks to this operation and with the help of a helicopter from the Guardia Civil, agents were able to save the lives of 10 people who were trapped, without protective clothing and completely soaked. They were brought to safety with the help of guides who helped them.
‘When they reached a place of safety, the rescued walkers, two Spaniards and the rest French, Germans and British, told us that two members of a party of five who were among those being helped had been swept away by a torrent of water. They had been unable to do anything to save them and did not know where they were.
‘A separate search and rescue operation was carried out until nightfall, which was restarted today with the assistance of firefighters.
‘That operation has so far led to the discovery of the body, which may be that of a 32-year-old British man.
‘The operation for a woman of the same nationality will continue.’
Sources with good information said the man’s body was spotted by the Guardia Civil helicopter near the area where the search was focused, but it is not yet clear whether it has been recovered by officers on the ground.
A spokesman for a regional government emergency coordination centre added: “The body of one of the missing tourists has been found.
The 32-year-old British national was found at the scene of the police search, near the Torrent de Pareis, a river in the Tramuntana Mountains on the northwest coast of Mallorca (file photo of the Tramuntana Mountains)
The Torrent de Pareis is a riverbed that can be walked during the dry months, but it often suffers from flash floods, as a large amount of rainwater falls on the mountain and is channelled down this narrow valley.
‘Police and fire brigade continue to search for the second. Psychologists have been called in to assist relatives.’
The operation to find the other missing Briton is still ongoing, with police trying to track down the woman’s whereabouts by triangulating her mobile phone.
Guardia Civil officers, helicopters, firefighters and dogs are believed to be involved in the operation.
It is unclear whether the British man and woman were attempting the famous trek up the Torrent de Pareis in the Tramuntana Mountains or whether they were simply walking along the riverbed.
The riverbed is a river that can be walked during the dry months. However, the river often suffers from flash floods, as a lot of rainwater falls on the mountain and then flows through a narrow valley.
According to Ultima Hora, heavy rainfall in Mallorca on Tuesday caused 70 to 100 litres of water per square metre in the Serra de Tramuntana area.
The storms battering the island are expected to intensify today.
In Escorsa, where the mountain range is located, the Torrent de Es Raco flooded, forcing emergency services to rescue a hundred people who were trapped.