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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Jacob Phillips

Majorca: Search resumes for British hiker caught in flash flood that claimed life of fellow tourist

Rescuers were on Thursday resuming the search for a hiker missing in Majorca after a British couple were “swept away” in flash floods.

Spain's Civil Guard said the pair were on a trail that leads through a small canyon to the sea when a storm hit on Tuesday.

A British woman was reportedly swept away in the Torrent de Pareis canyon.

Her body has been found but a search is under way to try and find the missing British man.

The couple were reportedly spending a few days on holiday in Majorca.

They had been hiking in a group, including some of their relatives, when the torrent was flooded by a sudden downpour of water.

Ten other tourists trapped by the floods were rescued, according to the BBC.

Video footage of the incident showed rescuers landing near the trapped hikers in a helicopter before helping several women wearing shorts and vests into the vehicle.

Spanish civil guard sources told the Majorca Daily Bulletin the group had gone into the mountainous area without the necessary equipment and warm clothing.

They appeared to show symptoms of hypothermia as temperatures plummeted and they were completely soaked by the rain, the Spanish news outlet reported.

An alert for very heavy rainfall had been in place at the time, warning about “very intense storms” and urging people to avoid outdoor activities.

“We are tired of taking tourists in flip-flops out of the torrent, who think it’s a stroll when in reality it’s a very demanding route, which you have to do with the right equipment,” explained a police officer who is taking part in the Serra de Tramuntana operation.

Search efforts were brought to a standstill for a few hours while the storm cleared before it resumed on Wednesday afternoon.

The search was set to continue at first light on Thursday morning.

The head of the Mountain Rescue Group in the Balearic islands said the 10 rescued had been "surprised by the storm".

"They were the ones who told us that they had seen two people who had been swept away by the water," Juan Carlos Rodriguez said.

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