A 26-year-old British daredevil died while climbing a bridge in Spain.
The young social media star, identified as Lewis Stevenson, fell to his death from a 630-foot bridge near Madrid.
Stevenson's bereaved family said they tried to talk him out of the stunt, but there was no persuading him.
"He loved doing it, always went out there believing he'd be alright. He did what he did for his own pleasure. He did not get any money for it, he was an adventurer," his grandfather, Clifford, told the Daily Mail.
The victim's girlfriend, Savannah Parker, said he was expected home Monday.
"We spoke at half eleven and the last thing he said to me was, 'Good night, I love you,'" Parker said.
The Castilla-La Mancha bridge, one of Spain's tallest, is located in Talavera de la Reina and regularly attracts social media clout chasers.
Climbing the cable-stayed bridge is strictly prohibited, the city's Councilor for Citizen Security, Macarena Muñoz, said in a statement confirming the tragic incident. The victim was accompanied by a 24-year-old man.
“We have been able to learn they had come to Talavera to go up to the bridge and create content for social networks,” Muñoz said, “which has resulted in this disastrous and sad outcome.”
The victim made it about a quarter of the way up the bridge before falling roughly 150 feet to his demise.
The British news outlet Metro.UK reported that the victim was not wearing a safety harness when he fell after 7 a.m. Sunday. The police are investigating if rainy weather was a factor in the accident.
"He was about 40 to 50 meters up, around a quarter of the total height of the bridge, when he fell," a source said.
"The reason he fell is not clear and will be investigated by a local court," the source told the outlet.
"Both the dead man and the companion that survived were climbing without any harnesses or other protection. A passing motorist raised the alarm."
"‘The other lad was in a state of shock initially and couldn’t even speak. He’s obviously still pretty traumatized but is not at the police station any longer."
"He’s not going to be charged with any crime. Whether the local town hall decides to sanction him for doing something illegal is a decision for them."
