Two Americans die rock climbing in Mallorca

‘The maritime rescue service arrived but there was nothing more to be done,’ say Mallorca authorities

Two people from the US have died after going climbing in Portocolom on the Spanish island of Mallorca (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Two Americans have died after going cliff climbing in Mallorca, according to reports.

The two men, aged 25 and 35, have not had their identities made public, but it is believed that they had come from Barcelona to explore the caves near Portocolom, a port on the Spanish island.

The location is a popular destination for climbers interested in psicobloc, a form of cliff climbing over water to reduce the chance of injuries. It is otherwise known as deep water soloing, according to the British Mountaineering Council.

The Guardia Civil confirmed their deaths, saying that their bodies were discovered near Cueva de es Cossi at roughly 12pm, according to the Guardian.

“A local lifeguard and some nearby swimmers provided him with first aid but were unable to revive him,” a spokesperson said about attempts to help one of the men.

They continued: “Then another body was spotted closer to the cave. The maritime rescue service arrived but there was nothing more to be done.”

They were able to identify them and where they were staying as they had their identification and other belongings, such as rental car keys, that were found close by. The US Embassy in Spain also received notification of the incident.

An investigation was opened into their deaths on 15 September.

Eneko and Iker Pou, two prominent figures in climbing, expressed “dismay and sorrow” about the deaths on Twitter and speculated that the incident was caused by a landslide. This has not been confirmed by authorities.