British womanplunges to death in horror 500ft rock climbing fall in Spain

A British woman has reportedly died after falling around 500ft in a popular rock climbing area near Malaga, southern Spain. The alarm was raised just after 7pm on Friday (January 10) and her body was recovered by emergency services.

The victim is believed to be around 20 years old and a British citizen. A male friend she was with narrowly escaped death by grabbing onto a bush-covered rock as he fell alongside her. He was reportedly in a state of shock when rescued.

The incident occurred near the village of El Chorro, close to the renowned Caminito del Rey pathway, in an area known as the Swiss Sector next to the Arabic Staircase hiking area. It's understood that the pair had spent the day practicing sport and their accident occurred during their descent after mistakenly taking the wrong route, reports the Mirror.

The survivor reportedly told police they lost their balance and fell over the side of a ravine. Local press have reported that the deceased woman was of British origin, while the nationality of the surviving man has not yet been revealed.

The Civil Guard, who are investigating the incident, have not yet made any official comment but are expected to do so over the weekend.

A source close to the investigation has confirmed local reports that the woman involved in the recent tragedy was "of British origin."

This incident marks the second in less than a month in the area involving a British climber. On December 11, a young man believed to be around 20 suffered a fall near the village of El Chorro, in an area known as Puente del Mono or Monkey Bridge.

He was found unconscious and in cardiac arrest by emergency responders and was later pronounced dead following a helicopter rescue. The location of this accident is near the renowned Caminito del Rey path, once dubbed the world's most dangerous walkway before its restoration.

It is understood that the deceased man was traversing a via ferrata, a protected climbing route with a safety line, when the accident occurred. A Guardia Civil spokesperson in Malaga stated after last month's incident: "Members of the specialist Civil Guard Greim mountain rescue team based in Alora near Malaga, supported by a Civil Guard helicopter based in Granada, have rescued the body of a young British man."

"He had suffered a fall while he was crossing a via ferrata in the area known as Monkey Bridge near to El Chorro. When officers reached the man he had gone into cardiac arrest. Despite practicing CPR on him and evacuating him rapidly from the scene by helicopter to a nearby heliport where medical services were waiting, they were only able to confirm his death."