British tourist missing on hiking holiday found dead at bottom of cliff in Italy

Gerard Christopher Turner, 56, was reported missing after going for a walk in the woods near Lezzono, Lake Como

Gerard Christopher Turner was staying with his family in Lezzono, Lake Como, near the Alps in northern Italy (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A British tourist who disappeared on Saturday afternoon has been found dead at the bottom of a cliff in Italy.

Gerard Christopher Turner, 56, was reported missing after going for a walk in the woods near where he was staying with his family in Lezzono, Lake Como, near the Alps in northern Italy.

He left the hotel where they were staying in the middle of the afternoon, at around 2.30pm, and phoned his wife two hours later to say he would be back soon because he had ventured down a “rough path”.

Mr Turner did not return and his family raised the alarm with emergency services who scrambled 50 people to instigate a search, as reported by Il Giorno.

Firefighters, mountain rescue teams, volunteers, and dogs scoured the Carvagnana area, between Nesso and Pognana Lario. This was where Mr Turner’s mobile phone had last been reachable hours before.

A helicopter, utilising a thermoscanner, was also used to try to locate the tourist before his body was eventually found at the bottom of a gorge by drones flown by firefighters.

Investigators believe Mr Turner fell into the gorge and hit his head, a local media outlet reported.

An Foreign Office spokesperson said:“We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Northern Italy and are in touch with the local authorities.”