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Date Published: 19/09/2022

ARCHIVED - Briton, 55, plunges to his death from 400ft Spanish cliff in front of family and friends

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

The Londoner lost his balance while climbing up to the La Mola Lighthouse in Formentera

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Briton, 55, plunges to his death from 400ft Spanish cliff in front of family and friends

A 55-year-old holidaymaker from London tripped and fell to his death from a 400ft cliff on the Balearic Island of Formentera on Tuesday September 13 as his horrified family and friends watched helplessly.

The vacationers had been taking a stroll up the cliff-side shortly after lunch time to the famous look-out point to La Mola Lighthouse when the Londoner lost his balance. He plunged into the water and disappeared from view.

A massive search operation ensued with the help of drones, jet skis and a helicopter and the tourist’s body was eventually recovered from the sea at around 5pm, around 50ft from the rocks.

Because of the tricky access to the cliff, his body had to be airlifted by a helicopter in a rescue bag.

The UK resident had been holidaying with his wife and a group of friends in nearby Ibiza, staying at the luxury Ánfora Hotel, and was on a day trip to Formentera.

SAMU061, the Balearic Island’s emergency response service, confirmed that the victim had fallen “from a great height” by “accident” and that his body had later been found by the Guardia Civil “in a place that was difficult to access”.

According to a police spokesperson, the death is not being treated as suspicious and the deceased has not yet been named by the authorities.

Perched at the very edge of a 400ft cliff on the eastern end of the island, La Mola Lighthouse is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Formentera.

After a holidaymaker plunged from the rock face back in 2018 security ropes were erected in some of the more dangerous spots to keep visitors away from the edge.

Now read: British man, 74, critically ill after almost drowning on Spanish beach

Image: Guardia Civil

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