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Spanish search and rescue teams have recovered the body of American hiker Cole Henderson, 27, who went missing in the Pyrenees last month. The Guardia Civil confirmed to CNN that Henderson was found on Friday afternoon on the north face of Monte Perdido, the third-highest peak in the range, standing at 3,355 metres.

 

Authorities described the location as difficult to access, requiring specialist mountain teams to use a crane to airlift his body from the site. The area’s challenging terrain and lingering snow made the recovery operation particularly complex.

 

Henderson had set off on his hike into Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park in Huesca province on 9 July. One of his last messages to friends indicated he had parked his car and switched his phone to airplane mode before beginning the trek. He was reported missing on 14 July after failing to take a scheduled flight home to the Netherlands.

 

A search operation involving specialist mountain rescue units and Air Service helicopters had been underway for weeks. Authorities had considered the possibility that Henderson attempted to climb Monte Perdido via a “Peu Difficile” (PD) route, a climb rated as somewhat difficult by the climbing community. While PD routes can sometimes be attempted without ropes, they include steep sections, crevassed glaciers, and require equipment such as ice axes or crampons.

 

Footage shared on social media from the town of Torla, where Henderson’s car was left, showed the usual route to Monte Perdido still covered in snow in early July, highlighting the challenging conditions that may have contributed to the tragedy.

 

Friends and relatives shared posts on social media expressing their concern and sadness. His cousin, Natasha Dudley Busick, described Cole as “truly the best of the best and we love him” and his best friend Eric Simon said “a kind and curious soul, and someone who means the world to me.”

 

His family and friends are being supported by local authorities as they come to terms with the loss.

 

 

 

Image: Erik Simon/Facebook