Walter Finch
A DESPERATE search is underway for a British tourist swept away in a flash flood after the body of her boyfriend was discovered on a hiking trail in Mallorca.
The body of a 32-year-old male was found just 200 metres from where rescue teams had been searching in the Serra de Tramuntana following a severe storm that battered the island on Tuesday.
A group of hikers who had to be rescued alerted the Guardia Civil after being caught off guard by the sudden downpour and flooding that swept through the region.
The group — two Spaniards, along with French, German, and British nationals — told rescuers that a British couple had been swept away by the water despite their efforts to save them.
The five rescued tourists were staying at the Son Amer refuge. Two were brought back in a state of shock, while a third was treated at a clinic but is not in danger.
The Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group (Greim), including helicopters and ground teams, continue to scour the rugged terrain in a desperate attempt to locate the second missing hiker.
Efforts are being made to triangulate her position using her mobile phone signal. Police described her as ‘younger than her partner.’
The couple were reported missing to authorities around 9pm last night, and search teams have been operating overnight.
A spokesperson for the British Foreign Office told the Olive Press: “We are supporting the families of a British man and woman who are missing in Majorca and are in contact with the local authorities”.
The storm, which caused the Torrent de Es Racó to overflow in Escorca, led to a major rescue operation that involved saving around 100 people trapped by the floods.
The Balearic Islands experienced between 40mm and 100mm of rainfall during the storm, with the Serra de Tramuntana recording some of the highest figures.
The storm wreaked havoc across Mallorca yesterday and it is forecast to continue today.
Torrential rains have led to flooding, forcing the evacuation of numerous people and causing significant damage to infrastructure.
Aemet has warned of a ‘very strong’ storm system expected to arrive around lunch time with gusts of wind that can touch on hurricane speeds of 120kph as well as torrential rain.
Some models have even predicted a ‘Mesoscale Convective System’, with gusts of wind even reaching as much as 160kph – as well as tornadoes, waterspouts, and hail stones of 3cm in diameter.
