British man, 53, is found dead in Spain after disappearing during a hike with his wife in the Canary Islands

A 53-year-old British man was found dead in Spain’s Canary Islands on Tuesday after he disappeared the day before while on a hike with his wife. 

The tragedy happened on Gran Canaria, on the Pico de las Nieves mountain, according to a report from news agency EFE. 

The couple were hiking on Monday afternoon when the wife suddenly realised that she had lost sight of her husband. At 5pm she called the 112 emergency services number, which prompted a search by the Civil Guard. 

At around 7.40pm on Monday the search was called off given that it was getting dark, but the operation restarted on Tuesday morning with the help of an emergency helicopter. 

At 12.40pm it was this aircraft that located a motionless body in a steep, rugged area close to the route that the couple had taken. 

By 5pm, the authorities had received judicial authority to rescue the body and transfer it to the parking area at the foot of the Pico de las Nieves. 

The Civil Guard confirmed that the body was that of the missing man, and will now investigate the cause of his death. 

The circumstances suggest that he accidentally fell from the route and plunged to his death. 

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