British man falls to death while climbing Spanish bridge for social media content

A 26-year-old British man died after falling from Spain’s tallest bridge on Sunday, local authorities said on Monday (Oct 14). The man had climbed the bridge to make social media content.

The unidentified man was accompanied by a 24-year-old fellow British national when he fell from the Castilla-La Mancha Bridge in the central city of Talavera de la Reina. According to reports, the man attempted to climb the cable-stayed bridge without any safety equipment.

"As far as we have been able to learn, they had come to Talavera to climb the bridge and create content for social networks, which has resulted in this disastrous and sad outcome," Talavera city councillor for public security Macarena Muñoz said.

The local authorities also stated the incident happened shortly after heavy rainfall, which may have made the surface of the bridge slippery.

Muñoz also added that climbing the bridge is “totally prohibited”. The council had repeatedly warned people on many occasions that they werenot allowed under any circumstance. However, some tourists continue to put their lives in danger for social media content, which results in such tragic happenings.

"We have reiterated on many occasions that it cannot be done under any circumstances," said Muñoz

The victim’s body has been taken to a funeral home by a coroner, said the city council.

''We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Spain, and are in contact with the local authorities,'' a United Kingdom foreign office spokesperson told the Guardian.

The Castilla-La Mancha Bridge is the tallest in the country standing at 192-metre-high over the Tagus River. The cable-stayed bridge features 152 wire ropes and was opened in 2011.

(With inputs from agencies)