A terrifying flood surged through a Majorcan resort after a massive downpour that claimed the life of a British hiker and left her partner missing.
HOW THE WOMAN WAS RESCUED
Rescue teams on the island recovered the body of the woman, 26, after spotting her backpack from the air as they scoured the area in a helicopter early Wednesday morning.
The 32-year-old man, who has not been named, is thought to have been swept away after torrential rain hit the couple who were with friends on the hike late Tuesday and rescue teams have yet to find her boyfriend.
Video shows a frothing surge of water cascading through the seafront Es Port restaurant at the mouth of the Pareis river, with staff frantically scrambling to save tables and chairs.
One staff member said: ‘It was unbelievable, one minute it was bright sunshine the next minute the sky turned black as if it was night and then it started raining really fiercely.
‘This time of year the river is just a stream but within less than an hour a huge wall of water came down the side of the mountain and into the sea, it was like Niagara Falls, there was water falling everywhere.’
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Relatives of the man were also part of the group of around 10 that had been hit by a massive downpour as they hiked along a path by the Torrent de Pareis, a river running through the Tramuntana area of northwest Majorca.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT
An official said: ‘The British man and woman were a couple. They were here on holiday and staying locally on the island. They also have family here with them and we are helping as best we can.’
Civil guard officers, mountain rescue teams and firefighters were involved in the search which began shortly after the storm barrelled through the area turning dry riverbeds into raging torrents.
