Dad fell to death from cliff after 'eating wild mushrooms making him delirious'
A British cyclist's body has been found after he went missing while on a trip from Dundee to India after it was feared he had eaten toxic mushrooms.
Steven Harper was found after falling off a cliff in Italy - four miles away from the French-Italian border in Ventimiglia on November 23. His devastated family believe that the toxins in the mushrooms may have caused Steve to become disorientated. After foraging for food, the cyclist sent his nearest and dearest a message, informing them that he had gone down ill.
His adoring brother, Dale Harper, 40, from Dundee had launched an online appeal to find Steven and made the difficult trip to Italy earlier this month to identify the body. Devastated with the loss of his brother, Dale took to Facebook to update his friends.
He posted: "The search ended in heartbreak with the discovery of Steven's body in Italy. He had enough resources to survive but might have made a fatal mistake with the mushrooms. His death was attributed to a fall from a cliff, possibly due to disorientation caused by mushroom toxins.
Steven Harper passed away in Italy (Collect)"I was left to grapple with the loss, the responsibility of identifying his body, and the realisation of his final moments in a place he loved."
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Dale explained that the Italian police report revealed that Steven passed away as a result of internal bleeding sustained from the fall. The Scot plummeted from the cliff approximately an hour after sending his final message.
The tragic incident was noticed by a nearby workman, who sprinted to Steven's aid. In addition, a helicopter arrived at the scene. Alas, it was too late to save him. Dale takes great comfort in the knowledge that his brother died doing something he loved.
He said: "We are still waiting on the toxicology report, but from the evidence we have, it seems most likely that Steven had felt delirious due to the toxins, lost balance and fell with his belongings.
"I take comfort in knowing he was doing what he wanted to do, wasn't wanting for anything, was surrounded by people in his last moments in a place he always said he had wanted to die."
Steven's devastated mother, Angela Bear, also took to social media to post a heartfelt tribute to her son. She wrote: "My beautiful, adventurous son's journey in this world has come to an end. Steven was living his absolute best life to the fullest and found joy in every step he took and every life he touched. He was loving life and wanted to inspire others to see the world."
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of a British man and are in contact with the local authorities."
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