Police find body in search for missing British tourist in Mallorca

Police searching for a British man believed to have been swept away by heavy flooding in Mallorca have found a body.

It comes after the body of a British woman was found on the Spanish tourist island on Wednesday.

Both people are believed to have been swept away in a flash flood.

Emergency services had been searching the area near the Torrent de Pareis canyon in Sa Calobra since Wednesday.

The Spanish Civil Guard told Reuters that the body of a man was found by emergency services on Friday.

The Torrent de Pareis canyon is deep and about 5km (3 miles) long, beginning in Lluc in the heart of the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range and running all the way to the sea. Walking the route can be dangerous as some sections of the canyon are prone to flooding. A tourist website warns that although the canyon is usually traversable, visitors should check the weather conditions before setting out. “The sheer cliffs that define the gorge are so tall and steep that there are no easy exits from the canyon anywhere along the way,” the website warns.

Earlier this week, authorities warned that “very intense storms” were imminent on the Balearic Islands and a large area of Spain’s eastern coast, and encouraged people to avoid venturing outdoors due to strong winds and heavy rain.

The mountain rescue brigade in the Balearic Islands said that 10 other tourists who had been trapped by floods had been rescued after being “surprised by the storm”. A helicopter assisted in rescuing 10 other hikers who had become trapped in the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range on Tuesday.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the families of a British man and woman following their deaths in Mallorca and are in contact with local authorities.”