This is the moment a terrifying flood inundates a Majorcan holiday resort after a torrential downpour claims the life of a British walker and leaves her partner missing.
Rescue teams on the island recovered the body of the 26-year-old woman after spotting her backpack from the air as they searched the area in a helicopter early Wednesday morning.
The 32-year-old man, whose name has not been released, is believed to have died in torrential rain when the couple, who were walking with friends on Tuesday evening, were struck by nature. Rescue teams have still not found her boyfriend.
Video obtained exclusively by MailOnline shows a foaming tidal wave of water rushing through Es Port restaurant on the seafront at the mouth of the River Paris as staff scramble to save tables and chairs.
One staff member said: ‘It was unbelievable. One minute the sun was shining brightly, the next the sky went black as if it was night and then it started raining really hard.
Water was seen flowing over properties on the island
Police helicopter searches the area today for missing British hiker
‘At this time of year the river is just a stream, but within an hour there was a huge wall of water rushing down the mountain into the sea. It looked like Niagara Falls, there was water falling everywhere.’
The man’s relatives were also among the group of about 10 people hit by a massive downpour while walking along a path beside the Torrent de Pareis, a river that flows through the Tramuntana area in northwestern Mallorca.
An official said: ‘The British man and woman were a couple. They were here on holiday and staying locally on the island. They also have family here with them and we are helping as best we can.’
Civil Guard officers, mountain rescue teams and firefighters were involved in the search, which began shortly after the storm ripped through the area, turning dry riverbeds into raging torrents.
Officials at the scene of the search said the group was “not properly equipped,” but did not go into details. However, one said: “We are tired of rescuing tourists from the area who only go out in flip-flops.”
A video obtained exclusively by MailOnline shows a foaming wave of water rushing through the Es Port restaurant on the seafront at the mouth of the River Paris.
Staff were seen scrambling to save tables and chairs
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)
He added: ‘This is not a walk in the park. It is a very difficult and technical hike and you need the right equipment and clothing.
‘Some of the people in the group we rescued were soaking wet and hypothermic due to the bad weather.
‘If you are going to do this walk, you need to be well prepared. And most importantly, check the weather conditions before you set off.’
Another told MailOnline: ‘There was a larger group of people who started the walk and the other two people joined them later.
‘They came by scooter to meet their friends and the brother of the missing man was at the scene, but has since left.
The area where the British hikers disappeared was hit by flash flooding on Tuesday (pictured above)
Bad weather has plagued Mallorca for the most part this week
‘We found the woman this morning after the helicopter spotted her backpack from the air. We were able to recover her body, but the man is still missing.
‘The woman was found not far from the path, but the search for the man is difficult due to the weather conditions.’
Mallorca has been hit by bad weather this week, with the search operation at one point being suspended for more than two hours after another storm swept across the island, bringing torrential rain and strong winds.
Rescue crews reported that the woman’s body was found near the start of the trail, but there were fears the man had been washed out to sea.
A firefighter told MailOnline: ‘That’s a possibility, but we’re hoping that maybe they’re still alive somewhere, if they’re already dead and the body is trapped under a rock or other debris.’