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Mum has to tell son 'Dad's dead'

Don Frame
11/ 8/2004

A 13-YEAR-OLD boy, who was with his father when he had a fatal climbing accident in Spain, was back home with his family in Manchester today.

Michael Smith, 47, fell into a ravine while hiking in Cantabrian Picos de Europa mountains in north-west Spain on Monday.

He died in a helicopter taking him to hospital at nearby Santander but his son was not told of his death until he was reunited with his mother back in Britain.

Civil Guard officers and staff at the British Consulate in Bilbao decided it was in his best interests to keep the tragic news from him.

The boy was flown home yesterday on a British Airways flight accompanied by a representative of the airline, and was met by family members when the plane touched down.

A Civil Guard spokesman in Madrid said: "We thought such sad news should be broken to the lad by someone from his family."

The accident happened on the south-east slopes of Monte Tesorero. Other climbers raised the alarm, and Mr Smith was found by members of the Civil Guard's special mountain rescue service.