A British man has died after attempting to free solo one of Spain’s tallest bridges. The as-yet-unnamed 26-year-old, who had a large online following, was reportedly climbing the Puente de Castilla-La Mancha bridge to film a social media stunt.
Located around 90 minutes from Madrid in the city of Talavera, the 630ft / 192m high bridge is one of the nation’s tallest, and has previously attracted climbers due to its unique design and towering height.
Accompanied by a 24-year-old climbing partner, the digital content creator began his ascent in the early hours of Sunday morning (October 13), before falling from around 160ft / 49m soon after 7am. Despite the best efforts of local paramedics and firefighters, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. While the cause of his fall is yet to be determined, both men were reportedly climbing without harnesses or any other safety equipment.
In a state of shock, the 24-year-old climbing partner was reportedly unable to speak after descending to safety.
“According to what we have been able to establish, they had come to Talavera to climb the bridge and create content for social media, which has resulted in this unfortunate and sad outcome,” read a statement from local authorities. Climbing the Puente de Castilla-La Mancha is “totally prohibited,” and “cannot be done under any circumstances", the statement concluded.
The British man is not the first to lose his life in pursuit of social media acclaim, with several similar daredevils breaking laws and ignoring safety regulations. Just last year, French climbing enthusiast Remi Lucidi died in a similar incident, falling 68 floors from the Hong Kong skyscraper he’d been scaling. Lucini too had been attempting to shoot video for social media, climbing without any safety equipment or ropes.
There have also been a number of selfie related deaths in recent years, with tourists and daredevils taking unnecessary risks to capture the perfect picture. Only last month, about 20 selfie-takers in Hangzhou, China were swept away by a ferocious tidal bore on the Qiantang River. Thankfully, all involved were rescued from the potentially fatal fast moving water.
- The best women's climbing shoes for indoor climbing sessions, valley cragging and all-day mountain adventures
- How to choose climbing shoes expert advice on what to consider
