An extreme sports influencer tragically fell to his death while trying to cycle down a volcano in Mexico.
David Ernesto Villarreal Pérez, 27, and a friend ascended Pico de Orizaba on Wednesday – the latest of many daring adventures for the young cycling enthusiast.
After reaching the summit of the 18,491ft volcano, they began coming down on pushbikes.
But as they reached a treacherous area known as El Sarcófago (The Coffin), the rugged terrain caused Villarreal to lose control of his bike.
He fell, hit his head, and lost consciousness at an altitude of more than 16,732ft above sea level.
His friend, Brandon Arturo Pérez Guerrero, called the emergency services at around midday, but it took more than seven hours for them to reach the pair.
When the rescue team reached Villarreal, he still had vital signs, despite being unconscious.
He was put on a stretcher and the descent began, but by 8pm, he no longer showed signs of life.
Preliminary reports say he died from severe blood loss and multiple fractures.
David Ernesto Villarreal Pérez (pictured) and a friend ascended Pico de Orizaba on Wednesday
David crashed his pushbike on a dangerous stretch of the volcano
Rescue teams arrived to help David at around 7:30pm, but he sadly died soon after
Search and rescue workers reached the pair at 7:30 pm, hours after the 27-year-old crashed suddenly on Pico de Orizaba.
The huge volcano rises 5,636 m (18,491 ft) above sea level and is the highest volcano and third highest peak in North America.
A Puebla state government spokesperson said: ‘The area of the accident is hard to reach, with rough terrain.
‘And combined with the challenging weather conditions at that altitude, it made helicopter use impossible, forcing the ascent and descent to be done on foot.’
‘The rescue team members were able to contact the climbers and confirmed that the injured man still had vital signs, but he died during the difficult descent,’ Colonel Bernabé de los Santos, head of the General Coordination of Civil Protection of the State and Disaster Risk Management, said.
Pérez, 28, was able to descend on foot as Villarreal was carried downhill by rescuers.
He was unharmed, Milenio reports.
Villarreal’s girlfriend, Arantza Cavazos, wrote in tribute: ‘You were an incredible man, David.
‘I hope to meet you again in another life and have all the adventures we planned together.’
David Ernesto Villarreal Pérez shared his love of cycling with thousands of fans online
David Ernesto Villarreal Pérez and Arantza Cavazos
Search and rescue workers reached the pair at 7:30 pm, hours after the 27-year-old crashed suddenly on Pico de Orizaba
Hundreds of thousands of people followed David for his adventures posted on YouTube
His father, Ernesto, wrote in tribute: ‘Dear David, come back high, you know that we love you and you will always be in our hearts, always happy, always free, always fearless, always doing what you liked most without worrying about what others think.
‘Always thinking big. Always authentic. God is celebrating receiving you with open arms. Have a good trip! We love you.’
Villarreal was from Monterrey, Nuevo León, and shared his stories with more than half a million followers and subscribers on social media.
According to local media, the young athlete was ‘a young extreme cyclist and mountaineer who dedicated his life to challenging the limits of nature’.
He had travelled around the world to climb different mountains across South America, ABC Noticias reports.
He made the news in 2020 after spending a month living on Pico de Orizaba, as reported by NeedToKnow.
Last year, he shared a lengthy journey cycling 12,000km from Mexico to Argentina.
Hundreds of thousands of people followed his daring adventures on YouTube and across social media channels.
In a tribute on Facebook, fellow cyclist Bernardo Daniel Moreno Almaguer wrote: ‘We are saddened to hear this news. You left your mark on the tracks all over Mexico.’
Villarreal is also survived by his parents and siblings.
