A British couple who were hiking through a mountain range in Mallorca, Spain, were swept away by flash flooding after what’s being called a ‘surprise storm’.
According to The Guardian, “Sarah Jane Thompson, 26, and Alexander Barrett, 32, were walking through Mallorca’s Tramuntana mountain range on 3 September when the incident happened. Ten people were rescued from the flooding.
The body of Thompson, from Levenshulme, Manchester, was recovered the following day in the Torrent de Pareis region. A body matching the description of Barrett, a climbing instructor who was last seen trying to save his girlfriend, was found on 6 September, a civil guard spokesperson confirmed.”
News of the young couple’s tragic deaths brought countless messages and tributes from friends, family and co-workers. Awesome Walls Stockport, a rock climbing gym in Stockport (a town in Greater Manchester, England), where Barrett worked as an instructor, posted this message in honor of their friend and colleague.
“Today we have to share some heartbreaking news with you.
Whilst on holiday, our brilliant instructor, Alex, and his wonderful girlfriend, Sarah, were involved in a tragic accident and have unfortunately passed away.
Alex was known for his warm smile, kind nature, and endless psych in all aspects of life. Whether it was in climbing or not, he was always keen to celebrate peoples achievements with a fist bump and a good laugh.
Sarah was an Awesome Walls regular and a welcome sight to all who she crossed paths with. She was a kind, joyful and would regularly make friends with people during her climbing sessions.
We will miss them dearly, but even though they aren’t with us any more they will always be part of the Awesome Walls family.
A memorial for Alex and Sarah has been organised by his friends and family on this Sunday, 22nd September, at 19:15. We will be meeting at the Woodbank and Vernon Park car park, and then heading down to the big field in the lower section of the park. Anyone is welcome to come and say goodbye.
In addition, Alex’s recent black boulder project will be left up in the cave area of the bouldering room in memorial of him. Please feel free to have a go.
We do not want to forget these two wonderful people. Please keep talking about them and the experiences you shared with them. The laughter and sense of light they brought to the centre is something we should all strive to keep in our lives.
Goodbye Alex and Sarah. We hope you’re still climbing mountains somewhere ❤️ ”
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Torrent de Pareis is a beautiful attraction that lures tourists and locals alike with its mountains, bay, beach and canyon. While many visitors choose to hike through Torrent de Pareis, Mallorca Beaches describes it as “a strenuous journey of 6-7 km, which requires the right equipment and preferably lots of experience. Those with less experience can join a guided tour. With or without a guide, most people start the hike in the small town of Escorca and then walk towards the coast. The trip will take 4-6 hours this way, while you should count with around an hour more in the opposite direction.”
While this popular spot in Mallorca is extremely beautiful, it does, unfortunately, come with dangers that visitors should be aware of before going. Mallorca Outdoors issues a warning that “the canyon can be flooded at times from autumn till spring. In case of severe flooding, long sections of the bottom half of the canyon are un-passable on foot. People have drowned attempting to swim these water catchments, because of low water temperature and lack of easy exit from the said freezing water. Although the canyon is usually passable, some weather awareness is required in the off season.”
Mallorca Outdoors also warns hikers that the bottom of the canyon can get extremely hot in the summer and that it’s imperative to be prepared with plenty of water on hand. They also note that there is no cell phone service in the canyon. Read their full list of warnings for hiking at Torrent de Pareis here.
Earlier this month, a freak accident killed three hikers who were sucked into a powerful whirlpool in California and another hiker plunged from a popular hiking trail in Maui. If you’re planning to hike anywhere in the world, the National Park Service offers these hiking tips to keep you and your loved ones safe.
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