Briton dies in rock climbing tragedy near Costa Blanca
A British man has died while abseiling down a mountain near Costa Blanca in Spain.
His 33-year-old sister-in-law, who is also British, was rescued by helicopter and taken to hospital with a broken leg.
The 35-year-old man is understood to have fallen almost 80 feet while abseiling at Monte Ponoig, a mountain known locally as the Sleeping Lion, which is a popular spot for climbers and walkers.
The Civil Guard in Alicante said his death was being investigated but at the moment it is being treated as an accident. A local source said: "At this stage it’s looking like the abseil anchor broke away, either because of a fault with the equipment or because it hadn’t been attached properly to the rock-face.
"The incident wasn’t caused by any health problems involving the British pair as was initially suggested as a possibility. They appear to have been experienced climbers and it looks like they were on holiday in the area."
The pair had climbed up the mountain and the incident happened as they were abseiling back down. It happened close to the spot where a 51-year-old British man died in January 2017 after falling 150 feet during a rock climb with a friend.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
All eyes on Qatar as Qatar Airways leads a season of global events