The month-long search for 27-year-old American hiker Cole Henderson has come to a heartbreaking conclusion after Spanish rescue teams located his body on the rugged north face of Monte Perdido, the third-highest peak in the Pyrenees.
Henderson, who had been living in the Netherlands, set out on July 9 for a solo hike in the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park in Spain’s Huesca province. Before starting his trek, he texted a friend that he had parked his car and would be switching his phone to airplane mode. That was the last time anyone heard from him.
When Henderson missed his scheduled flight back to the Netherlands on July 12, his friends reported him missing. A large-scale search began two days later, involving specialist mountain rescue teams and helicopters from Spain’s Air Service.
Authorities suspected Henderson may have been attempting to climb Monte Perdido, a 3,355-meter (11,007-foot) peak rated “Peu Difficile” a grade that can mislead some hikers. While considered “somewhat difficult” by mountaineering standards, the route can involve steep climbs, ice, and snowfields requiring technical gear like crampons and ice axes.
In early July, social media footage showed the mountain’s main route from Torla where Henderson’s car was found still heavily covered in snow. The challenging terrain and treacherous conditions made the search both complex and dangerous.
On Friday afternoon, rescue teams finally located Henderson in an inaccessible area. Using a crane, they airlifted his body from the mountain. The Guardia Civil confirmed the recovery in a statement to CNN, bringing closure to a case that had gripped both local authorities and the international hiking community.
-Deeprows News