The Guardia Civil have confirmed that they have found the lifeless body of a British hiker who went missing on Monday afternoon on a trail in the Pico de Las Nieves area of Gran Canaria.
The 53-year-old male was last known to be on a hiking route with his wife in this mountainous area of the island, but she claims that he just disappeared and raised the alarm at around 5:00pm on Monday because she was worried about his whereabouts, prompting a police search operation.
At approximately 7:40pm on Monday, the search was called off as they hadn’t found the missing man, and there was insufficient light to continue. The search resumed early on Tuesday morning, with the participation of the Emergency and Rescue Group (GES) helicopter.
It was the helicopter crew that located a lifeless body at 12.40pm yesterday (Tuesday) in a rugged and difficult-to-reach area near the location where the hiking couple was last seen.
After obtaining permission from the competent judicial authority, the rescue operation took place around 5:00pm, retrieving the body to the vicinity of the Pico de Las Nieves parking lot.
Here, the Guardia Civil agents confirmed that it was the man who had gone missing on Monday afternoon. The body is now in their custody as they undertake the necessary procedures to determine the causes of his death, although preliminary indications suggest an accidental fall.
The search operation comprised ground and aerial units from GES, Guardia Civil officers, the San Mateo fire brigade, environmental agents from the Gran Canaria Cabildo, and members of the General Corps of the Canary Islands Police.
