British tourist, 34, dies after he was mugged while hiking in Colombia and left at the bottom of a mountain trail for two days
- The victim, 34, was attacked by muggers at a mountain viewpoint in Medellin
- He is believed to have been hit over head with the butt of a gun by muggers
A British tourist has died after he was attacked by muggers while hiking along a mountain trail in Colombia.
The 34-year-old was found two days after disappearing and rushed to hospital in a critical condition before succumbing to his multiple injuries which included head wounds.
The victim, who has not been named, has been described locally as a Swedish-born man who had a British passport and lived and worked in the Kent town of Ashford.
His body is now at Medellin’s Forensic Medicine Institute.
The victim is understood to have been on an extended holiday when he was killed. He is believed to have been hit over the head with the butt of a gun by muggers who stole his belongings after he hiked to the Hill of Three Crosses.
The British tourist is believed to have been hit over the head with the butt of a gun by muggers who stole his belongings after he hiked to the Hill of Three Crosses (pictured in file image)
He was found at the bottom of a drop near the top of the hill where he is thought to have been abandoned after being attacked.
He was taken to a nearby health centre before being rushed to Medellin’s General Hospital where he died despite life-saving surgery, just before midday local time on Wednesday.
He reportedly managed to tell medics he had been attacked and mugged by three men who stole all his belongings before he lost his fight for life.
The Hill of Three Crosses, Cerro De Las Tres Cruces in Spanish, is a short but intense hike which offers breathtaking views of the city of Medellin.
As well as three small crosses at the top, it has an outdoor gym.
Holidaymakers who have made the same hike and posted comments online say they felt very safe climbing the path, but warn against going late in the day when it starts getting dark and admit they have heard of people being robbed at night.
The mugging victim has been described as the first foreign person to have been murdered in Medellin so far this year, following 10 murders of foreigners last year in the city.
No arrests are yet believed to have been made although police chief Henry Yesid Bello was quoted as saying detectives had some information pointing to the criminals believed to be responsible.
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