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British climber dies on the Matterhorn after being hit by falling rock

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British climber dies on the Matterhorn after being hit by falling rock

British climber, 24, dies 11,000ft up the Swiss Matterhorn after being struck by a falling rock during a night-time descent

  • He was making his way down the mountain at 2.40am on Monday morning 
  • Chunks of the rock face suddenly started to crumble off and hit the British man 
  • His two co-climbers called a helicopter to the ridge but the man died instantly 

By Jack Elsom For Mailonline

Published: 21:02 EDT, 3 June 2019 | Updated: 21:36 EDT, 3 June 2019

A British climber has been killed 11,000ft up the Matterhorn after being struck by a falling rock which knocked him down the mountain.

The unnamed 24-year-old was descending the Swiss Alps’ peak with two other climbers at pitch black 2.40am on Monday when chunks of the rock face began to crumble off.

A helicopter was scrambled to the Hörnli ridge but the Briton died instantly.

A British climber has been killed 11,000ft up the Matterhorn (pictured) after being struck by a falling rock which knocked him down the mountain

Local police said the public prosecutor has opened an investigation into the tragedy. 

Valais police spokesman Steve Leger said he had no details about why the climbers had been scaling the peak at that hour. 

The Matterhorn, which straddles Switzerland and Italy, has a pyramidal shape with four faces almost facing the four compass points.

The Matterhorn, which straddles Switzerland and Italy, has a pyramidal shape with four faces almost facing the four compass points

Its distinctive silhouette and 1,4692-metre summit make it one of the most iconic landmarks in the country.    

The devastating news comes as bodies were spotted in the area where four British climbers went missing in the Himalayas.  

Martin Moran, 64, John McLaren, 60, Rupert Whewell, 49, and Dr Richard Payne, 40 dropped off the map following an avalanche on Friday. 

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