Missing British hiker found dead after 48-hour rescue mission in national park

A missing British hiker has been found dead after an unsuccessful 48-hour rescue mission in Spain.

The 61-year-old man was reported missing on Thursday.

He had been in the municipality of Posada de Valdeón, within the Picos de Europa National Park.

His body was found in the Moeño canal, emergency services have said.

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The Briton's body will be extracted by the Civil Guard.

The unsuccessful search saw the Civil Protection and Emergency Agency sweep the area.

A rescue helicopter was also deployed to assist with the ground search.

The hiker first rang authorities to report he felt disoriented and tired while returning from a route towards Caín.

A spokesman for a regional government-run emergency response coordination centre said at the time: "We are coordinating a rescue that began at 7.11pm on Thursday after receiving a 999 call from the Castilla and Leon province 999 ops centre, informing a British mountaineer aged 61 had become disorientated when he was doing a mountain route in the Picos de Europa.

"At that moment, he didn’t know where he was, the weather conditions were bad, with wind, low clouds and intermittent rain, and he said he was exhausted."

Picos de Europa National Park is Spain’s oldest and second-largest national park.

It spans a 250-square-mile limestone mountain range located across the northern provinces of Asturias, Cantabrian and León.

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The park's peaks exceed 2,500 metres.

The UK's Foreign Office warns Britons travelling to Spain about the dangers of hill walking and other mountain activities.

The warning said: "Temperatures in some parts of Spain can change very quickly.

"Take extra care when planning a hike or walk."

It adds: "Check local weather reports for warnings of extreme heat or cold temperatures.

"Altitude sickness may be a risk in some of the higher mountain ranges in Spain, particularly in the regions of Granada, Huesca and Tenerife.

If an accident occurs while mountaineering, the Foreign Office urges to call the provided emergency number.

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