Victoria Bond, 40, from Cornwall, died in the Torres del Paine nature reserve in Chile when a blizzard hit. She was hiking with four friends when the storm struck
A survivor of the blizzard which killed a British woman and four others in Chilean Patagonia has described the “suffocating” snowstorm that turned their holiday into a ‘horror film’.
Victoria Bond, from Cornwall, tragically lost her life in Chile’s Torres del Paine nature reserve when a blizzard struck. The 40 year old, alongside two Mexican and two German tourists, perished after becoming lost on Monday, triggering a major search operation involving more than 20 rescuers.
Chile’s National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) has launched an internal investigation “to determine any potential liability” following the deaths of five tourists, including a Cornish woman, in a Patagonian snowstorm, the BBC reports. The probe comes amid allegations that park rangers were absent when the deadly storm hit.
Mum of girl killed in suspected drug overdose wants daughter remembered as ‘angel’
Oompa Loompa from doomed Willy Wonka Experience unrecognisable after glow up
Christian Aldridge, from Newquay, who survived the blizzard, told The Times from his hospital bed that park rangers should have evaluated the weather conditions to determine whether to shut the dangerous route they were attempting, but claimed they weren’t on duty that day due to compulsory voting in Chile’s presidential election.
Ms Bond and Mr Aldridge had been attempting to complete the O Circuit hiking trail with three other British companions. On the fourth day of their trek (17 November) the five friends formed part of a group of approximately 30 hikers as they navigated the challenging John Gardner Pass, reports Cornwall Live.
The group was at the highest point of their trek, 3,900ft up, when a blizzard hit. Mr Aldridge told The Times that they were two miles from base camp and decided to press on in search of shelter.
However, they later found out that the refuge had been closed because park rangers had left to vote in the presidential election the previous day.
As the weather deteriorated, the group chose to head back down to the Los Perros camp. During this descent, Ms Bond reportedly became separated from the rest of the group.
It wasn’t until the group made it back to base camp that they realised some members were missing. Two group members and a camp staff member formed the initial rescue team.
However, the bodies of Ms Bond and a German man weren’t discovered until the following day by park rangers. On Wednesday afternoon, the survivors were finally airlifted from Dickson camp to a hospital in Puerto Natales, the nearest town.
According to The Times, Victoria and Christian were part of the trip with a group of friends who all met through the same co-working space in Newquay.
Mr Aldridge revealed to The Times: “I find it very difficult to convey how horrific it was. It was suffocating, wind so powerful that you had to sit down and curl into a ball and turn your back to it so it didn’t knock you down the mountain. I couldn’t breathe with the ice and snow blowing so much in my face and then attempting to go up a very steep climb. It was just too many things at once.
“Before the helicopter came to take us we walked out and looked at the mountain and said some words about our friend Victoria and had big ugly cries. It’s like being in a horror film.”
José Antonio Ruiz, the presidential delegate of Magallanes, disclosed that the group became lost near the park’s Los Perros camp – a four to five-hour trek from the nearest point accessible by vehicle.
Victoria had been hiking the Paine Massif Circuit – also known as the O Circuit – when the group was struck by a storm. Adam Walker, a mate of Victoria’s, described her death as “utterly heart-breaking.”
A CONAF spokesperson said: “We deeply regret this tragedy and send our solidarity to the families of the deceased and to all those who have experienced very difficult times in Torres del Paine National Park.”
The circuit remains shut for the investigation. CONAF stated that the first responders deployed were its park rangers. It reported that there were 51 personnel on site on Sunday – the election day – and Monday, according to the BBC.
