British man plunges to death while climbing bridge in Spain to create social media content

A 26-year-old man from England died after falling from Spain’s tallest bridge while trying to climb one of its pylons to create content.

The man, who has not been identified, fell from the Castilla-La Mancha Bridge, about 70 miles southwest of Madrid, the Mayor's Office said in a news release Sunday. Climbing the bridge which crosses the River Tagus outside the town of Talavera de la Reina in central Spain is "totally prohibited," the news release said and "cannot be done under any circumstances" which the council said it has "reiterated on many occasions."

The deceased was accompanied by another 24-year-old British man, and it was learned the two "had come to Talavera to go up to the bridge and create content for social networks, which has resulted in this disastrous and sad outcome," local councilor Macarena Muñoz said.

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Climbing without harnesses or protection

A spokesman for National Police in Toledo, the province where Talavera de la Reina is located, told Spanish media outlet The Leader , the man was "about 40 to 50 meters (approx. 130 - 160 feet) up, around a quarter of the total height of the bridge, when he fell."

The spokesman added it was not immediately clear how the man fell and the incident that occurred around 7:15 a.m. Sunday morning will "be investigated by a local court."

Meanwhile, a source close to the investigation told The Leader the man and his companion "were climbing without any harnesses or any other protection."

The body of the victim has been transferred to a funeral home, according to the news release.

A spokesperson for the U.K. Foreign Office, in a statement to People , said the office is "supporting the family of a British man who has died in Spain, and are in contact with the local authorities.”

The cable-stayed bridge, which opened in October 2011, is nearly 630 feet tall, with its main span measuring 1,043 feet, making the Castilla-La Mancha Bridge the tallest in Spain and one of the tallest in Europe.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: British man plunges to death while climbing bridge in Spain to create social media content