Spanish Couple Feared Dead After Waterfall Selfie In Nepal

Rescuers in Nepal are searching for a missing Spanish woman who is believed to have suffered a deadly fall while taking a selfie at a waterfall together with a partner, whose lifeless body was discovered next to the river.

Eric Soler, 36, and Merce Molas, 31, were trekking the Annapurna mountain in Nepal when they vanished on Sunday, 25th August.

The couple, hailing from the province of Barcelona, had separated from their hike group and had decided to explore an older route leading to the village of Ghorepani, one of the most popular destinations in the country.

But when family members had not heard from either of them for hours, they reported them missing, and a search party immediately set out to find them.

The pair’s backpacks, documents and one of their mobile phones were found the same day near the banks of the Bhurungdi River and rescuers began to fear the worst.

Their suspicions were confirmed when they discovered Eric’s lifeless body next to the river on Tuesday.

Merce still remains missing, but police in Nepal believe that she could also be alive, and have resumed the search for her on Wednesday.

Police suspect that the couple had been trying to take a photo near a waterfall but accidentally fell into the river and died.

Annapurna Rural Municipality spokesperson Bharat Man Gurung said: “We suspect that the tourists might have been swept away by the Bhurungdi River.

“The old trail is known to be dangerous, especially during the monsoon season when the river water levels rise.”

Their families are in contact with the Spanish embassy in New Delhi, India, and Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also working on the case.

Meanwhile, the police, a rescue team and some local residents are combing the area in search of Merce while preparations are being made to send Eric’s body to Pokhara, from where it can be transported back home to Spain.