Now also confirmed by Diario Notícias.
The tourist who fell from a cliff of about 200 meters this morning in the area of the Pedra Rija viewpoint, Vereda do Pico do Areeiro, did not survive. The worst outcome of the accident was confirmed by the mountain rescue team, who only managed to reach the place where the body was found late in the afternoon. The operation to recover the body is still ongoing.
Apparently, the tourist, who is young, of German origin and who was in the company of three other people, lost his balance after leaving the trail to take a photo on a hill.
The rescue operation was slow and complex, as the area where the fall occurred is steep and covered in vegetation.
The alert for this accident was given at 11:38 am, through a call made by a citizen to the emergency line 112. 13 members and 3 vehicles from the Madeiran Volunteer Firefighters (BVM) mountain rescue team were mobilised to the scene, as well as the drone team and the helicopter from the Regional Civil Protection Service. However, the fog made it impossible for the latter to operate. However, in the early afternoon, the team was reinforced, with the commitment of a team from the PSP, a team from the Special Protection and Rescue Unit of the GNR and members of the Forestry Police Force. In total, around 40 operatives will be involved in the operation.
Following this accident, the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation (IFCN) closed the Vereda do Pico do Areeiro trail.
