Woman falls to her death while hiking in Toledo

A woman died on Thursday afternoon, the 1 May holiday, in Robledo del Mazo (Toledo) while on a hiking trail with fellow walkers. The incident occurred at the Garganta de Las Lanchas waterfall in the area known as Las Chorreras (the torrents), in the hamlet of Las Hunfrías.

The Guardia Civil has opened an investigation to clarify the circumstances surrounding the death. The woman fell down the waterfall from a height of five metres and was pulled from the water by her companions. However, the woman was already dead and the efforts of the medical teams sent to the scene of the accident were in vain. A helicopter ambulance and a medical team from La Nava de Ricomalillo (Toledo) attended, but they could only certify the death of the woman.

The area where this accident occurred is very popular with hikers, especially in recent weeks after the abundant rains in March flooded the area with water, forming several waterfalls.

Las Chorreras de Las Hunfrías is also a tourist attraction with the ruins of 16th century mills and forests of oaks, holm oaks, pines, chestnut trees and shrubs such as rockroses, which give their name to the area. It is a micro-reserve located near the Gévalo river with environmental protection for its water-loving and subtropical plant species. In fact, its vegetation represents the last remains of plant formations considered relics of the laurel forests (laurisilva), subtropical forests that populated the Iberian peninsula some 300 million years ago.

Such is the natural beauty of the spot that this Thursday claimed the life of a woman. It so happens that four years ago another woman, 56, had to be rescued in the same place after slipping and falling down the waterfall. On that occasion the woman, who was also on a hike with three other people, was more fortunate as she was rescued alive after being knocked unconscious by the heavy blow she received to the head when she fell.