{"id":222609,"date":"2023-09-23T13:32:32","date_gmt":"2023-09-23T13:32:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allworldreport.com\/?p=222609"},"modified":"2023-09-23T13:32:32","modified_gmt":"2023-09-23T13:32:32","slug":"brit-plunges-300ft-to-his-death-while-scaling-beauty-spot-ladder-stairway-to-heaven-on-austrian-mountain-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allworldreport.com\/world-news\/brit-plunges-300ft-to-his-death-while-scaling-beauty-spot-ladder-stairway-to-heaven-on-austrian-mountain-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"Brit plunges 300ft to his death while scaling beauty spot ladder 'Stairway to Heaven' on Austrian mountain | The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"
THE family of a British climber who plunged more than 300ft to his death in the Austrian mountains said he was "living his dream". <\/p>\n
Malcolm McDonald, 42, was found dead after falling from the famous "stairway to heaven" ladder in the Dachstein Mountains.<\/p>\n
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The retail manager had travelled to the range near Salzburg to tackle the Via ferrata Donnerkogel hike. <\/p>\n
The Via ferrata – meaning "iron way" – features an enormous metal ladder strung up between two mountain peaks.<\/p>\n
Made up of a dizzyingly long 130ft stretch of rungs, the ladder sits at nearly 300ft above the ground.<\/p>\n
Malcolm, from Northern Ireland, was climbing it alone when disaster struck on September 12.<\/p>\n
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Emergency services rushed to the scene – including two helicopter crews – but were unable to save him.<\/p>\n
His body was recovered from the deep gully underneath the ladder after the horror fall.<\/p>\n
Malcom's heartbroken family described him as "kind and caring" in an emotional tribute.<\/p>\n
His sister Alison McDonald told Belfast Live: \u201cWe as a family are heartbroken by Malcolm\u2019s death as the result of a tragic accident.<\/p>\n
<\/picture>BRAND SPEAKS <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/picture>OUT OF STEP <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/picture>ROYAL SNUB <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/picture>hitting out <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut we are comforted by the fact that he was living his dream in the mountains and had completed the Spartan Trifecta two days earlier.<\/p>\n \u201cLife won\u2019t be the same without him. We wish to thank everyone who has sent their condolences and support at this heartbreaking time.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was loved by all who knew him and the world will be a darker place without him.\u201d<\/p>\n His mountaineering group also paid tribute to him online. <\/p>\n They wrote: "It is with great sadness for all of us this morning to learn of the passing of our esteemed member, Malcolm McDonald.<\/p>\n "Malcolm was a very popular member and was always up for a challenge. <\/p>\n "There is little peace knowing that Malcolm achieved his Spartan goal in Austria and spent his last moments doing something he loved.<\/p>\n "He will be dearly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his entire family circle and friends at this sad time."<\/p>\n The passionate climber had been visiting Austria to compete in the Spartan Trifecta adventure race the weekend before his accident.<\/p>\n Local police stressed that the horror incident was an "accident" and ruled out any third-party negligence.<\/p>\n The Stairway to Heaven, run by Inter-sport, is a challenge popular with extreme thrill seekers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n It's also a revered beauty spot popular often featured by tourists on Instagram.<\/p>\n A Foreign Office spokesman said: \u201cWe are supporting the family of a British national who died in Austria and are in contact with the local authorities."<\/p>\nBrand breaks silence after sex abuse claims & moans about ‘distressing week’<\/h3>\n
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