British climber, 72, dies after being overcome by frozen water whereas descending ice wall in Italian Alps
A British pensioner has died while ice wall climbing in the Italian Alps.
Stephen Lismore, 72, got into difficulty while descending the rock face with a friend during a climb on Saturday.
Officials involved in the rescue said he mistook an opening in the ice wall for a way down and climbed down into it, before being hit by freezing water from rapids.
He was unable to climb out in the sub-zero temperatures and is thought to have died from hypothermia, though an investigation is under way to establish the exact cause of death.
The tragedy happened at a popular ice climbing spot in Lillaz, near Cogne, as his friend watched from above.
Guidebooks describe the three tiered 150m water falls as ‘stunning’, in winter they freeze over providing a popular adventure for climbers.
Video provided to the Daily Mail shows alpine rescue teams arriving at the site by helicopter, with the cascade of water visible in the background as teams work to recover the man’s body.
A British pensioner has died while ice wall climbing in the Italian Alps. Stephen Lismore, 72, got into difficulty while descending the rock face with a friend during a climb on Saturday
Officials involved in the rescue said he mistook an opening in the ice wall for a way down and climbed down into it, before being hit by freezing water from rapids. Pictured: Rescuers at the scene
The tragedy happened at a popular ice climbing spot in Lillaz, near Cogne, as his friend watched from above
A rescuer told the Daily Mail: ‘The victim was in a double cord with a companion at the top of the waterfall’
A rescuer told the Daily Mail: ‘The victim was in a double cord with a companion at the top of the waterfall.
‘He was climbing down when we think he mistakenly entered an aperture in the ice wall and was then overcome by the ice cold water.
‘At this point we are not sure whether he drowned or died from hypothermia because of the water but an autopsy will establish that.
‘His companion raised the alarm and initially we were led to believe it was a simple cord stuck incident, but when we arrived it became apparent what happened.
‘The conditions were good we just think he was confused because it was dark at the time and this added to the difficulty of the rescue operation as well.’
Saturday’s fatality was the second this year of a person while ice climbing in the area – last month a French thrill seeker died after falling more than 10m (30ft).
An FCDO spokesperson said: ‘We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Italy.’
