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An American is arrested over the death of a U.S. tourist at a German castle

The Associated Press

Authorities say a tourist has died after a man attacked her and a companion near Neuschwanstein castle in southern Germany. The incident near the popular tourist attraction close to the Austrian border happened Wednesday afternoon. Frank Rumpenhorst/AP hide caption

Authorities say a tourist has died after a man attacked her and a companion near Neuschwanstein castle in southern Germany. The incident near the popular tourist attraction close to the Austrian border happened Wednesday afternoon.

BERLIN — Police in southern Germany are appealing for photos and videos taken by witnesses of an attack near Neuschwanstein castle in which an American man allegedly pushed two women down a steep slope, killing one of them. A suspect was arrested following the attack.

German news agency dpa quoted police as saying Friday that they have so far received about a dozen submissions on a specially created website , but assume many more images were taken by tourists present at the site.

"We are looking for photographs which, by chance, show two young women and a man (approx. 30 years old) who were staying east of the Marienbruecke," Kempten police said on their website. "These persons may have been walking together or separately."

In this image taken from video, a suspect is taken away by two police officers near Neuschwanstein castle in Schwangau, southern Germany on Thursday. An American man has been arrested after allegedly assaulting two U.S. tourists near the castle and then pushing them down a steep slope. Eric Abneri/AP hide caption

In this image taken from video, a suspect is taken away by two police officers near Neuschwanstein castle in Schwangau, southern Germany on Thursday. An American man has been arrested after allegedly assaulting two U.S. tourists near the castle and then pushing them down a steep slope.

The Marienbruecke, or Mary's Bridge, is a popular vantage point for photos of Neuschwanstein, the most famous of the castles built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in the 19th century.

According to the initial police investigation, the suspect met the two female tourists, Americans aged 21 and 22, on a hiking path and lured them onto a trail that leads to a viewpoint.

"The younger of the two women was attacked by the suspect," police spokesman Holger Stabik said. "The older one tried to rush to her aid, was then choked by the suspect and subsequently pushed down a slope."

The assailant then appears to have attempted to sexually assault the 21-year-old before pushing her down the slope as well, prosecutors said. She fell nearly 50 meters (165 feet), ending up close to her friend.

Both women were recovered by mountain rescuers. The 21-year-old was flown to a hospital with serious injuries and later died. The 22-year-old remains hospitalized, but is "responsive," police said.

Authorities haven't named either of the victims or given any further details.

People watch the Neuschwanstein castle, in Schwangau, Germany, Thursday, June 15, 2023. Frank Rumpenhorst/AP hide caption

People watch the Neuschwanstein castle, in Schwangau, Germany, Thursday, June 15, 2023.

The suspect, who likewise was not identified, remains in custody on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, prosecutors said, adding it wasn't clear how long he had been in the country.

The U.S. Embassy in Berlin said it was aware of the incident and the consulate in Munich was in contact with authorities.

"Due to privacy considerations, we are unable to comment further at this time," the embassy said in a statement.

• neuschwanstein

American tourist killed, another injured in attack near Germany's Neuschwanstein castle, police say

Neuschwanstein was the inspiration for the castle in Disney's "Sleeping Beauty."

BERLIN and LONDON -- An American tourist was killed and another was injured when they were attacked by an American man they met near the famous Neuschwanstein castle in southern Germany, authorities said Thursday.

The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon in the German state of Bavaria near the Marienbruecke, a pedestrian bridge popular for its stunning view of Neuschwanstein. Nestled on the edge of the Bavarian Alps, the 19th-century palace was the inspiration for the castle in Disney's "Sleeping Beauty." Two women, ages 21 and 22, met a 30-year-old man on a hiking trail east of the bridge who then lured them onto a path that led to a viewpoint, according to a statement from the Bavarian State Police.

MORE: 2 Americans found dead in hotel room in Baja California Sur, Mexico: Police

The man then "physically attacked" the younger woman, police said. When the other woman tried to intervene, the man choked her and pushed her down a steep slope. He then apparently attempted to sexually assault the 21-year-old before also pushing her down the slope. Both women fell nearly 50 meters (165 feet), according to police.

A mountain rescue service from the nearby town of Fuessen rescued both women. The 22-year-old was injured but responsive and taken to a hospital. The 21-year-old suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to a hospital, where she died overnight, police said.

The suspect had left the scene but was arrested close by soon after, according to police.

MORE: 5 dead, plus unborn child, in shooting at Jehovah's Witness hall in Germany: Police

Although the names of the suspect and the victims have not yet been released, a Bavarian State Police spokesperson confirmed to ABC News that all three were American tourists.

The suspect appeared before a judge in the nearby town of Kempten on Thursday and was ordered to be held in jail pending a potential indictment. He is under investigation on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and sexual offense, according to police.

Police have called for any witnesses to come forward as they continue to investigate the alleged attack.

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Man confesses in murder of U of I grad Eva Liu near castle in Germany

CHICAGO (WLS) -- American Troy Bohling confessed to rape and murder in the death of Eva Liu, a Naperville native and University of Illinois graduate near Neuschwanstein castle in Germany.

This case put investigators on a global path from Naperville to Europe as they tried figuring out why Liu was pushed over a cliff and killed.

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Just as Bohling was about to go to trial in Germany, his legal team announced a stunning admission: Bohling did rape and kill Eva Liu, as charged, and push her over a 165-foot embankment. The unexpected confession came less than a year after Liu left Naperville and went to Germany to celebrate her recent graduation from U of I.

In a matter of moments, a magnificent and picturesque 19th century castle that is thought to have inspired storybooks and fairy tales became the backdrop for a horror story.

Last June, 31-year-old Bohling, from suburban Detroit, went on a deranged sex and shoving spree. On a hiking path, Bohling targeted two Illinois women who were traveling together in Germany to celebrate their new U of I degrees. As 21-year-old Liu, a former student at Naperville Central and the Illinois Math and Science Academy, was being assaulted by Bohling, her friend and U of I classmate, 22-year-old Kelsey Chang, tried to stop the attack. Chang, from Bloomington, was pushed into the 165 foot ravine. Liu was then also tossed down the steep wooded cliff.

Helicopters and ground rescue teams had a difficult mission that day. They recovered Liu's body. She didn't survive the gorge. Chang did.

RELATED: Naperville City Council remembers Eva Liu, woman killed in German castle attack

Bohling was arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder, rape and possession of child pornography. He shielded his face while being brought into a German court for trial on Monday.

As German justice officials were preparing to begin proceedings, Bohling's attorney said his client admitted to the crimes.

According to German officials, the court will now consider Bohling's confession. If convicted, they will also decide whether to extradite him to serve a sentence closer to his Michigan home.

An 11th hour confession is unusual but not unheard of. In 2019, downstate trial defendant, Brendt Christensen, did the same thing. Oddly, the case also involved a female victim connected to U of I. Christensen's last-second strategy and admission likely kept him from the executioner. He's now serving life without parole. Germany doesn't have the death penalty; but it may take until sentencing to determine Bohling's motivation for his late game confession.

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Watch CBS News

American woman injured in fatal attack on fellow American tourist near German castle released from hospital

By Haley Ott , Brian Dakss

June 20, 2023 / 4:33 AM EDT / CBS News

Police in Germany said Monday that a 22-year-old American injured in an attack Thursday near a castle in Germany that led to the death of her 21-year-old American friend has been released from a hospital.

Police spokesperson Holger Stabik said the was able to leave the hospital on Friday, according to The Associated Press.

The woman was hurt when she and her friend were assaulted, allegedly by another American tourist.

Police in the southeast German state of Bavaria confirmed to CBS News that a U.S. national was arrested in connection with the incident, and Stefan Rinke, the mayor of Schwangau, in Bavaria, told local media that all three people involved were American.

Their names haven't been released due to German privacy laws.

The women were hiking near Neuschwanstein Castle, which inspired the castle in Disney's movie "Cinderella" and attracts more than a million tourists a year, when they met a 30-year-old man who told them to follow him down a trail leading to a secret viewpoint.

When the two women followed him, the suspect attacked the 21-year-old victim, Stabik said. Her friend tried to intervene and the man choked her and pushed her down a steep slope. He then attempted to sexually assault the 21-year-old, Stabik said, before pushing her down the slope as well.

Both women fell approximately 165 feet.

Rescue workers found the two women and the 21-year-old was flown by helicopter to a hospital, where she died of her injuries. Stabik told CBS News on Friday that the 22-year-old woman suffered minor injuries.

"The perpetrator at first moved away from the scene of the crime after the assault," Stabik told journalists on Thursday. "Whether this was a classic escape or not is not entirely known. In any case, he was then arrested a short time later by police officers on the basis of a witness tip in the immediate vicinity of the crime."

Stabik said police have received about two dozen photos and videos on a specially created website, adding that investigators are asking anyone who has more video or images of the suspect and victims to provide them to police.

Eric Abneri was visiting Neuschwanstein Castle from New York and captured video on his phone of the suspect being led away by police.

"His face was covered in deep red scratch marks and his neck as well," Abneri told CBS News on Thursday. "There was clearly a struggle there, and he just had a frown on his face. He didn't say anything. He had a sort of disturbed look."

A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Berlin told CBS News on Thursday that it was "aware of an incident involving multiple individuals" but declined to provide further information citing "privacy considerations."   

The official said the embassy was communicating with German authorities on the matter.

A spokesperson for prosecutors told the AP it might take as long as four months for them to decide whether to indict the suspect.

CBS News' Anna Noryskiewicz in Berlin and Emmet Lyons in London contributed to this report.

Haley Ott is the CBS News Digital international reporter, based in the CBS News London bureau.

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American victims in deadly tourist attack by German castle identified as recent Illinois university graduates

Eva liu, 21, and kelsey chang, 22, had travelled to germany following their may graduation, article bookmarked.

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Two American women who were attacked while they hiked a trail near a famous castle in Germany have been identified.

Eva Liu, 21, and Kelsey Chang, 22, had travelled to Germany following their May graduation from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, DailyMail.com first reported.

A university spokesperson confirmed in a statement to The Independent that Ms Chang and Liu were shoved down into a ravine near the historic Neuschwanstein Castle in the German state of Bavaria on Wednesday . Liu died as a result of injuries she sustained during the 164ft fall, while Ms Chang remains in hospital.

Bavarian police said in a statement on Thursday that the victims joined a man along a trail just moments before the attack. He reportedly tried to sexually assault them before pushing them down a steep gorge. A 30-year-old American man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and sexual offences.

“Both had just graduated in May and should have been able to celebrate such an important accomplishment without the fear of such a tragic outcome,” the office of the university chancellor said. “Our thoughts are with Ms. Chang as she recovers and with both of their families as they grieve.”

Just weeks before the tragedy, Liu was awarded a computer science degree, while Ms Chang received a bachelor’s in computer engineering.

Liu had landed a role as a software engineer at Microsoft after finishing an internship with the company during her last semester, she wrote in a LinkedIn post.

On Wednesday afternoon, the two women were on a hiking trail east of the Marienbrücke Bridge, an attraction just an hour’s drive from Munich that is popular among visitors for its sweeping views of Neuschwanstein Castle. They met a man and joined him on the hike, police said.

“The man then steered the two under a pretext to a trail that was difficult to see, which leads to a viewpoint,” Bavarian police said in a statement . “According to the current state of knowledge, an attempted sexual offence to the detriment of the 21-year-old must be assumed.”

Once out of sight, the 30-year-old assailant reportedly tried to attack Liu, prompting Ms Chang to try and defend her, police said.

“The younger of the two women was attacked by the suspect,” police spokesman Holger Stabik told the AP . “The older one tried to rush to her aid, was then choked by the suspect and subsequently pushed down a slope.”

Both women were shoved down 164 feet into a ravine. Liu was airlifted to a hospital in serious condition and died on Thursday night.

Ms Chang suffered bruises and lacerations to her head but much of the impact was blunted by a tree, according to the Mail.

She was transported to a hospital and was still recovering as of Friday morning.

Bavarian police said the attacker was a 30-year-old US national, DW reports . Bystander video posted online showed police leading away a handcuffed, bearded man in a T-shirt, jeans and a baseball cap.

The victims and their alleged attacker had reportedly stayed at the budget Seibel Hotel in Munich, staff told the Mail .

The suspect appeared before a judge at the Kempten District Court, but did not comment on a motive behind the attack.

Following protocol, German authorities will not release the name of the suspect in the early stages of the investigation.

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American Man Arrested for Pushing 2 U.S. Tourists into Ravine at German Castle, Leaving 1 Dead

An American man is in custody after attacking two women near the historic Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany

An American man is in custody for pushing two U.S. tourists off a bridge in Germany, leaving one dead and another seriously injured.

The incident occurred on June 14 at a scenic viewpoint near Neuschwanstein Castle, which served as the inspiration for the castle in Sleeping Beauty, reported Associated Press .

The suspect, a 30-year-old man, came across two female tourists aged 21 and 22, while hiking along a trail, according to a police statement seen by AP.

“The younger of the two women was attacked by the suspect," police spokesman Holger Stabik added in the statement, per the outlet. “The older one tried to rush to her aid, was then choked by the suspect and subsequently pushed down a slope.”

Frank Rumpenhorst/picture alliance

The attacker then tried to sexually assault the younger woman before also pushing her down the slope, reported CNN . Tragically, she later died from the injuries she sustained in the estimated 165-foot fall, the Bavaria police said in a statement issued Thursday, added the outlet.

A spokesperson from the Bavarian State Police told ABC News that all three individuals involved in the incident were U.S. tourists. German law prevents the authorities from releasing the details of the suspect and the victims at this time.

After the incident, the suspect was arrested by law enforcement. A bystander's video circulated online, shows police leading away a handcuffed man dressed in a T-shirt, jeans and baseball cap.

Eric Abneri, a University of Pittsburgh graduate who captured the footage told AP the man had visible scratches on his face.

“He did not say a single word. He didn’t open his mouth; he didn’t mumble,” Abneri told the outlet. “He just walked with the police and that was it.”

"I'm honestly absolutely stunned someone is still alive from this," he continued. "It is like falling from the top of an absolute cliff."

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for  PEOPLE' s free True Crime newsletter  for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Abneri added that the authorities also had to conduct "a very, very difficult rescue because of those cliffs and because the helicopter came mere feet above the tree line at the top of the hill."

The suspect made an appearance before a judge in the nearby town of Kempten on Thursday and is currently under investigation for murder, attempted murder and a sexual offense, reported the BBC . The judge also ordered the suspect to remain in custody while awaiting a potential indictment, added the outlet.

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American man admits to attacking 2 US tourists and killing one of them near a famous German castle

Germany us tourists killed.

BERLIN (AP) — An American man on Monday admitted to charges of murder and rape after he allegedly pushed two U.S. women down a ravine, fatally injuring one of them near Germany's Neuschwanstein castle last year.

The 31-year-old defendant admitted to the charges during the start of his trial, the German news agency dpa reported. Defendants in the German legal system do not formally enter pleas to charges.

“The defendant has committed an unfathomable crime,” defense lawyer Philip Mueller said in a statement. The defendant, whose name hasn’t been released in line with German privacy rules, confirmed that his lawyer’s statement was correct but did not answer any questions.

The defendant is charged with murder, rape with fatal consequences, attempted murder and possession of child pornography. Murder charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison in Germany.

The attack happened on June 14 last year near the Marienbruecke, a bridge over a gorge close to the castle that offers a view of Neuschwanstein, one of Germany’s most famous tourist attractions.

Prosecutors say the defendant met by chance the two female tourists, aged 21 and 22, on a hiking path and lured them off the trail. They said in a statement that he apparently first forced the younger woman to the ground and tried to undress her.

When the elder woman tried to help her, a scuffle ensued and the suspect allegedly pushed her down a steep slope. She fell about 50 meters (165 feet) and sustained a head injury, bruises and grazes but survived .

The suspect then allegedly strangled the younger woman until she was unconscious and raped her, prosecutors said, before pushing her down the slope as well. She died.

Prosecutors said they secured a laptop and cellphones from the suspect containing child sexual abuse material.

Authorities say the women didn’t know the man before they met near Neuschwanstein. The suspect was arrested shortly after the attack.

A verdict is expected to be announced in mid-March at the earliest.

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Tourist sexually assaulted then shoved to death near german castle id’d as recent grad.

A young tourist who was sexually assaulted then fatally thrown into a ravine near a world-famous “Cinderella”-style castle in Germany was identified Friday as a 21-year-old recent University of Illinois graduate, authorities said Friday.

Eva Liu, of Naperville, Ill., was killed while visiting the Neuschwanstein Castle in Schwangau Wednesday afternoon, when a 30-year-old man pushed her off the 165-foot gorge in a stunning attack, police and school officials said.

Liu had traveled to the castle — a tourist hotspot believed to have inspired the palace in Disney’s “Cinderella” movie — with classmate Kelsey Chang, 22, who was also thrown off the cliff by the assailant but survived, the officials said.

“Our University of Illinois family is mourning the senseless death of Ms. Liu and the attack on Ms. Chang,” associate chancellor of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Robin Kaler told the UK Mirror .

“Both had just graduated in May and should have been able to celebrate such an important accomplishment without the fear of such a tragic outcome.”

The unidentified American suspect — who was reportedly staying at the same hotel as the college grads — was arrested Wednesday after allegedly luring the women to a trail that led to an overlook, then “physically attacking” Liu, police said.

When Chang tried to help, he allegedly choked her and pushed her off the side of the steep cliff, where a tree broke her fall, according to authorities.

He allegedly then tried to sexually assault Liu before fatally shoving her into the gorge, where she suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to a hospital.

She was pronounced dead the following day. 

Chang only suffered minor injuries from the long fall, police told the Daily Mail Friday . Footage appears to show her hanging onto a fallen tree partway down steep slope.

The young women had been staying at the same hotel as the attacker, The Seibel in Munich, but didn’t know him, the outlet reported.

Chang was recovering in the hospital Friday, according to German media reports.

“The two tourists happened to meet the man on a hiking tour east of the Marienbrücke and joined him,” Chief Public Prosecutor Thomas Hörmann told the German newspaper, Bild .

The suspect was held on murder, attempted murder and sexual assault charges, authorities said.

Witness Eric Abneri said the suspect appeared to have bloody scratches across his face, and said nothing as police arrested him.

“I’m honestly absolutely stunned someone is still alive from this. It is like falling from the top of an absolute cliff,” he said.

A bridge near the castle, which draws a total of 1.4 million visitors each year, was temporarily closed due to the incident.

The castle was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who hid out there after losing in the Austro-Prussian war in 1866.

With Post wires

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The fatal stabbing of a German tourist by a suspected radical puts sharp focus on the Paris Olympics

The suspect expressed anguish about muslims dying, notably in afghanistan and the palestinian territories, by elaine ganley | associated press • published december 3, 2023 • updated on december 3, 2023 at 12:20 pm.

A bloodstain by a bridge over the Seine river was the only remaining sign on Sunday of a fatal knife attack 12 hours earlier on a German tourist, allegedly carried out by a young man under watch for suspected Islamic radicalization after serving prison time for preparing a violent attack.

The random attack near the Eiffel Tower on Saturday night has drawn special concern for the French capital less than a year before it hosts the Olympic Games, with the opening ceremony due to take place along the river in an unprecedented scenic start in the heart of Paris.

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In a sign of that concern, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne called a meeting for Sunday evening with key ministers and officials charged with security for a “total review” of measures in place and the handling of the “most dangerous individuals,” her office said.

After killing the tourist, the attacker crossed the bridge to the city’s Right Bank and wounded two people with a hammer, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Saturday night. The suspect, who apparently cried “Allahu Akbar” (God is great), was then arrested.

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Video circulating on the internet showed police officers, weapons drawn, cornering a man dressed in black, his face covered and what appeared to be a knife in his right hand. They twice tasered the suspect before arresting him, Darmanin said.

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Questioned by police, the suspect expressed anguish about Muslims dying, notably in Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories, and claimed that France was an accomplice, Darmanin said.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on X, formerly Twitter, that the news from Paris was “shocking.”

“My thoughts are with the friends and family of the young German man,” she wrote. “Almost his entire life was before him. ... Hate and terror have no place in Europe.”

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, in a post on X, expressed condolences for the victim's family and friends and hope that Europe stands together against terrorism. “A heartfelt thought to the family members and loved ones of the victim," she wrote. “May Europe stay united against every form of terrorism."

The French interior minister said the suspect was born in 1997 in Neuilly-Sur-Seine, outside Paris. He had been convicted and jailed for four years, until 2020, for planning violence, was under psychiatric treatment, tracked for suspected Islamic radicalization and was on a special list for feared radicals.

The French media widely reported that the man, who lived with his parents in the Essonne region, outside Paris, was of Iranian origin.

The case was turned over to the anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office.

“This person was ready to kill others,” Darmanin told reporters, who along with other government members and President Emmanuel Macron praised police officers for their response.

Well-known emergency doctor Patrick Pelloux, who was among the first at the scene, told BFM-TV there was blood everywhere. Pelloux said he was told by the victim's entourage that the suspect stopped them to ask for a cigarette, then plunged his knife into the victim. “He aimed at the head, then the back. He knew where to strike,” Pelloux said.

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The daily Le Parisien, in an in-depth report published Sunday, said the suspect had a history of contacts via social networks with two men notorious for the gruesome killing of a priest during Mass in 2016 in Saint-Etienne du Rouvray and the man who killed a police couple at their home in Yvelines, west of Paris, a month earlier.

France has been under a heightened terror alert since the fatal stabbing in October of a teacher in the northern city of Arras by a former student originally from the Ingushetia region in Russia’s Caucasus Mountains and suspected of Islamic radicalization. That came three years after another teacher was killed outside Paris, beheaded by a radicalized Chechen later killed by police.

The attack brought into sharp focus authorities' concern for potential terrorist violence during the 2024 Games.

Just days earlier, the Paris police chief had unveiled detailed plans for the Olympic Games' security in Paris, with zones where traffic will be restricted and people will be searched. The police chief, Laurent Nunez, said one of their concerns is that vehicles could be used as battering rams to plow through Olympic crowds.

John Leicester in Paris and Frances D'Emilio in Rome contributed to this report.

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German police fatally shoot gunman near Israeli Consulate in Munich

The attacker fired several shots near the Israeli Consulate and was killed by police. The incident happened on the anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre.

BERLIN — German police fatally shot an armed man Wednesday in a shootout after he opened fire near the Israeli Consulate and a Nazi Documentation Center in central Munich.

Police “responded with the appropriate weapons to the perpetrator, who was carrying a long gun, and had fired a series of shots,” Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann told reporters in Munich.

A long gun refers to a weapon with a long barrel fired from the shoulder. One video circulating on social media showed a gunman carrying what appears to be a vintage rifle with an attached bayonet, which the daily Süddeutsche Zeitung reported matched the location of the Israeli consulate. Munich police spokesman Andreas Franken described it as “an older model of a repeater gun” and said five police officers were involved in the exchange.

Authorities asked locals to avoid the area around Karolinenplatz on Thursday morning due to a huge police operation, although there were “no indications of any other suspects in connection with the operation.”

“Officers spotted a person who appeared to be carrying a firearm,” police wrote on X. A police helicopter was also deployed to “get a better overview of the current situation from the air.”

Munich police spokesman Andreas Franken said officers were also checking a vehicle that may belong to the suspect for booby traps.

The incident coincided with the anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre . Eight members of the Palestinian militant organization Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village at the 1972 Summer Games and killed two members of the Israeli Olympic team . Nine others were taken hostage and later killed in a failed rescue attempt. A police officer was also killed.

In a statement on X , Talya Lador, the Israeli consul general in Munich, thanked police for their actions and cooperation.

“This event shows how dangerous the rise of antisemitism is,” Lador wrote. “It is important that the general public raises its voice against it. Our Consulate General was closed today to commemorate 52 years since the terrorist attack at the Olympic Games.”

As a precautionary measure, the annual memorial event at Fürstenfeldbruck air base for the 12 victims of the attack was canceled shortly before it was due to begin Thursday morning.

Local media also reported that police significantly increased security at Munich’s Ohel Jakob Synagogue, less than a mile from the incident. Patrol cars were parked at the entrance, and armed officers with submachine guns surrounded the building, German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung reported.

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Horror moment terrifying flood surges through Majorca mountain resort as Brit hiker, 26, killed & her boyfriend missing

• Vera Demertzis
• Published : 9:49, 5 Sep 2024
• Updated : 10:12, 5 Sep 2024
• Published : Invalid Date,

THIS is the terrifying moment a flood tore through a resort, killing a British hiker.

Footage shows water rushing through a resort at the mouth of Pareis River in Majorca .

A 26-year-old woman was swept away after a biblical downpour created the flash flood on Tuesday.

The Brit tourist was hiking with her boyfriend and another group of hikers along a path by the Torrent de Pareis, a river running through the Tramuntana area of northwest Majorca, when the torrential rain hit.

The hiker's body was reportedly found near the spot where  cops  had begun their search in the  Spanish paradise island .

Her boyfriend, a 32-year-old man has not been located.

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Sources from the Guardia Civil reported that the group that went into the mountain and lacked the necessary equipment and clothing.

A police officer attached to the search operation said: "We are tired of taking tourists in flip-flops out of the torrent, who think it’s a stroll when in reality it’s a very demanding route, which you have to do with the right equipment."

The Civil Guardia stopped the search for several hours on Tuesday as they waited for the storm to clear. A ground search later resumed.

A restaurant staff member told the Daily Mail : "It was unbelievable, one minute it was bright sunshine the next minute the sky turned black as if it was night and then it started raining really fiercely.

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"This time of year the river is just a stream but within less than an hour a huge wall of water came down the side of the mountain and into the sea.

"It was like Niagara Falls, there was water falling everywhere."

Parts of the island have been affected by severe flooding following heavy rain on Friday, with the situation expected to worsen today as the island continues on orange alert.

The Civil Guard, which has mobilised mountain rescue experts, said: “The Civil Guard yesterday rescued 10 people who were trapped in the Torrent de Pareis by a torrent of water.

“Our Greim unit established an operation throughout the day there to prevent possible accidents involving hikers who were in the area given the forecast of heavy rain.

“Given the experiences of previous years, when many visitors ignore weather conditions and end up getting trapped by high water, the decision was taken to establish precautionary measures.

"Thanks to this operation, and with the help of a Civil Guard helicopter, officers were able to save the lives of 10 people who were trapped, without protective clothing, and completely soaked."

The rescued walkers, two Spaniards and the rest French, German and British, later told cops that two members of a group of five "had been swept away by a torrent of water and they had been unable to do anything to save them and didn’t know where they were."

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The torrent is a riverbed that can be hiked during the dry months but is often affected by flash floods as it collects a large amount of rainwater that falls on the mountain and funnels it down this narrow valley.

Hikers wishing to start the walk start at a place called Escorca, on the Ma-10 road that connects Pollensa with Soller along the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range where the trapped tourists are understood to have been rescued and the two Brits swept away by the flash floods.

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