A Basque Mountaineer Dies after Falling 50 Meters at Pico Torres near San Isidro

Source: Article from El Comercio July 1, 2007 by M..Menendez

- Iñaki B., a Resident of Bilbao, 40 Years Old, Fell into the Void after the Rock to Which He Was Fixed Gave Way - The Peak Has Registered Two Other Fatal Victims, aged 26 and 75 Years Old, in 2002 and 2003

A Basque mountaineer was killed yesterday after falling off a cliff face while climbing the Pico Torres in the community of Aller, very near the port of San Isidro, according to sources at Asturian emergency services. The victim was Iñaki B., fourty years old and resident in Bilbao. It looks like the accident took place just after one o'clock in the afternoon, when the victim was climbing up the Pico Torres in the company of a friend, using a regular route up the mountain, known as El Corredor and considered as having medium-high difficulty.

The rock to which the mountaineer was anchored gave way, which caused him to fall approximately 50 m, according to a report by Daniel Cordero, owner of the hotel complex La Braña, located close to the area where this fatal accident took place. The body of the mountaineer became stuck on a projecting rock very near the chapel of Nuestra Señora des las Nieves

The mountaineer's friend gave alarmed by means of his mobile telephone and a helicopter from the Asturian fire department quickly arrived at the location as well as team members from the emergency rescue group, but they could only certify the death of the climber and remove the body, which had very grevious wounds on the head and broken bones.

Second Man Seriously Injured in Peña Ubiña

On the same day the helicopter of the Asturian fire department was also called to rescue another mountaineer who was severely injured in an accident at Peña Ubiña la Grande, in the community of Lena. The rescue took place around noon and the man who was injured in the hand and kidneys needed to be taken by helicopter after first aid was given to the hospital. The area where the man was injured did not present any difficulty of any sort and is often visited by mountaineering enthusiasts. Nonetheless these types of accidents a very common during the months of summer when many people are climbing the mountain.