Stockport couple drowned in Majorca flash floods, inquest told

A young couple were drowned in flash floods while on a hiking holiday in Majorca, an inquest has heard.

Climbing instructor and lifeguard Alexander Barrett, 32, tried to help his partner Sarah Thompson, 26, as a “wall of water” cascaded down the canyon they were descending with a group of other hikers, Stockport Coroner’s Court heard.

Both were swept to their deaths, with Ms Thompson’s body recovered by Spanish search and rescue teams on 4 September 2024, the day after the flood.

Mr Barrett’s body was found on 6 September in the Torrent de Pareis canyon in the Tramuntana mountains.

Ms Thompson’s father, Peter Thompson, said his daughter “was never without a smile on her face”.

She had represented Cumbria at fell running in national competitions, had a degree in photography from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Paul Rodman, Mr Barrett’s father, said his son “loved life” and relished the outdoors, from hiking to surfing.

“The friends and family have developed a little saying, ‘Be more like Alex’ because that’s what we aspire to be.”

Mr Rodman added: “He’s missed so much by all his friends and family.”

The couple, from Offerton, near Stockport, had gone on the trip with friends, all hiking and climbing enthusiasts, to Majorca.

Luke Weaver, who knew Mr Barrett as a friend and climbing instructor at an indoor climbing centre in Stockport, said in a statement read to the inquest that the group “had a mutual passion for climbing and hiking”.

Mr Weaver, who on the trip with his partner, said the planned hike – which was expected to take three to four hours – was known to be “challenging in places”.

He had completed the hike before on several occasions, but neither Ms Thompson nor Mr Barrett had.

However, Mr Weaver said he considered it was “well within the capabilities” of the group.

He said he was aware the gorge flooded so he checked the weather forecast on the morning of 3 September.

It only predicted rain from 18:00 BST, by which time they would be “well clear”.

He dropped the group of friends off and planned to catch up with them after parking his car, but was delayed in heavy traffic by around two hours.

In the afternoon it began to drizzle, but Mr Weaver said this did not cause any concern as he continued the hike.

He said as there was no phone signal in the gorge and he could not make contact with his friends.

Mr Weaver said he spotted them with a German couple and two Spanish nationals in a “bottleneck” between two boulders.

“Water [then] appeared to come from nowhere. The sound was incredibly loud, people were screaming.”

Mr Weaver said he could see one of the group had managed to grab on to a rock while one of the Spanish nationals had been swept into the torrent and was being carried away.

His own partner managed to get out of the water and, after a few minutes, others emerged from the deluge.

But Mr Weaver said the noise of the water was too loud for them to communicate.

Ms Thompson was seen being swept away along with Mr Barrett, who had tried to help before the current took him too.

Survivors who had suffered minor injuries were taken out of the gorge by helicopter.

Jyoti Gill, assistant coroner for Manchester South, recorded a verdict of accidental death caused by drowning for both Ms Thompson and Mr Barrett.

“Sadly, both Sarah and Alex were unable to climb to safety and were swept away by the floodwaters,” Ms Gill said.