British hiker found dead after going missing while climbing Costa del Sol mountain peak

British hiker, 62, is found dead after texting family from Marbella mountain asking for help

  • The search started at 4pm yesterday when he sent a WhatsApp asking for help 
  • His lifeless body was spotted by a police helicopter just after 9am this morning
  • La Concha is a popular mountain but can have high temperatures in the summer 

A British hiker has been found dead after going missing while trying to walk to the top of a well-known mountain peak overlooking the Costa del Sol resort of Marbella.

The search started around 4pm yesterday after the 62-year-old man sent a WhatsApp message to loved ones back in Britain asking for help.

His family contacted UK police who alerted Spanish police via consular officials in Malaga.

A 62-year-old British hiker has been found dead after going missing while trying to walk to the top of La Concha in Spain (pictured)

Summer is not an advisable time to try the hike during the main part of the day because of the high summer temperatures

Summer is not an advisable time to try the hike during the main part of the day because of the high summer temperatures

The search, which involved Civil Guard officers based in Ojen near Marbella as well as firefighters and civil protection workers from the resort, had to be suspended late last night.

His lifeless body was found just after 9am this morning after it was spotted by a police helicopter mobilised at the start of the second day of the search.

Well-placed sources said investigators were working on the theory he got lost and then fell and got caught up in the straps of his rucksack.

One insider claimed he may have choked on the bag as he fell and it got caught on a ledge.

The source added: ‘But that is something only the post-mortem will confirm.’

A local investigating judge has been put in charge of a routine inquiry into the tragedy.

The top of the mountain the Brit was trying to reach is called La Concha.

It is just under 4,000ft above sea level and offers wonderful views of a large part of the Costa del Sol coastline, the ocean and Gibraltar and Morocco on a clear day.

It is a popular weekend destination for locals, expats and holidaymakers, although summer is not an advisable time to try the hike during the main part of the day because of the high summer temperatures.

The man who died has not yet been named and no details have been given out about his age

The man who died has not yet been named and no details have been given out about his age

It takes about three hours to reach the top of La Concha from Marbella or a car park area near the inland town of Ojen where a lot of walkers start from.

The man who died has not yet been named.

It was not immediately clear if he sent the SOS to his family because he got lost or had suffered an accident.

In the past it was not unheard of for hikers unfamiliar with the terrain to get lost, especially on the way back down from the peak, but more signposts have been put up in recent years making it easier to stick to the main path.

Three Irish holidaymakers sparked a massive air and land rescue after getting lost on the mountain in ninety degree heat in August 2008.

The Dublin trio phoned friends after running out of water and succumbing to dehydration as they attempted to reach the summit.

Their pals made matters worse after alerting emergency services – by trying to reach the stricken men in their beachwear and forcing a second separate rescue after losing their way too.

Local Civil Protection boss Jesus Egia, who helped coordinate the rescue, was quoted at the time as saying: ‘They weren’t adequately prepared for the climb they attempted and they made things worse by moving from the spot they first phoned their friends from.

‘We were searching an entirely different area to start with based on the coordinates we were first given.’

No details have yet been given out about when the Brit found dead this morning started walking to the summit and whether he was an experienced hiker adequately prepared for the climb or had underestimated its difficulties in high summer temperatures.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk