Did British bungee jumper die because rope was too long? Woman, 23, is killed after leaping from Spanish bridge and crashing into another bridge below as her aunt watched on in horror
- British holidaymaker Kleyo de Abreu died in a bungee-jumping accident
- The 23-year-old woman hit a support column after leaping from a bridge
- Her aunt, who she was reported to be staying with, witnessed the tragedy
- Foreign Office says it is 'urgently' looking into reports and ready to assist
A British woman has died after crashing into a bridge as she bungee-jumped in front of her aunt during a dream Spanish holiday.
Kleyo de Abreu Atwell, 23, was killed instantly after jumping off of a modern bridge near the mountain village of Lanjaron and smashing into the old stone Tablate Bridge below.
The horrific incident took place at around 2.45pm yesterday afternoon and left Miss de Abreu dangling lifeless from the rope as her relative watched on in horror.
Her father Bernard Atwell today said relatives are in shock at the death of the aspiring fashion and design student, who he described as 'sweet, caring, bubbly and focused'.
An investigating judge has already launched a probe into the tragedy.
One of the theories being investigated today was that the tragedy happened after a miscalculation relating to the length of the rope.
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Tragic: Kleyo de Abreu died after crashing into a bridge as she bungee-jumped in front of her aunt
Family: Bernard Atwell (right) today said relatives are in shock at the death of his daughter, who he described as 'sweet, caring, bubbly and focused'
Location: Kleyo de Abreu was killed instantly after bungee jumping off the top steel bridge and smashing into an old stone Tablate Bridge below near the mountain village of Lanjaron
The tragedy occurred around 2.45pm yesterday afternoon at the Tablate Bridge near the mountain village of Lanjaron. She was doing her second jump of the day with a local adventure sports firm when the tragedy struck.
A spokesman for the Guardia Civil in Granada told the Press Association: 'The dead woman is a British 23-year-old from London called Kleyo de Abreu.
According to her Facebook page, Miss de Abreu moved to Brixton in south London in March.
The spot she jumped from - a 20-year-old metallic bridge crossing high above the River Tablate - is around 260 feet above an ancient Roman bridge which she smashed into.Mr Atwell said his daughter had been visiting her aunt Gabriela and cousins in southern Spain after travelling in Morocco.
'She was originally from London and had returned recently from living in Cape Town in South Africa to follow her passion and study fashion,' he explained.
'My primary concern is for people when they are just having fun...My daughter is gone and nothing is going to bring her back, but I have spoken to the family and we are all on the same page - we don't want something like this to happen again,' he added.
'Every father will say this but she was very special, she was a very beautiful young woman who had all her life ahead of her,' he went on to say.
'She was 23 years old but to me she will always be my little baby and I would very much like to make sure this doesn't happen again to anybody else.'
The 23-year-old was killed instantly after smashing into the old stone Tablate Bridge during the jump
Aspiring fashion and design student Kleyo De Abreu, 23, from Brixton, south London, was killed at around 3pm yesterday in Lanjaron, Granada
According to witnesses, Kleyo was left dangling lifeless from the rope as her relative watched on in horror
A spokesman for the Guardia Civil in Granada confirmed that Ms De Abreu's aunt was present when she died.
He said: 'Although it is too early to draw any conclusions about the circumstances of the death, one of the lines of inquiry is that there was a miscalculation with the rope.'
Tablate Bridge has a drop of 262ft and is a popular bungee jumping site used by several adventure sports firms.
Thrill-seekers fall for about 65ft and swing underneath the bridge, with a first jump offered for around €35 (£24.50).
One website claims that bungee jumping from the bridge is a 'hair-raising' experience due to the closeness of the ravine walls during the fall.
Another boasts: 'If you want a huge dose of adrenaline this is your bridge.'
Lanjaron is about 35 miles from Granada on the southern flanks of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and is famous in Spain for its mineral water.
The region is popular with expats and near to the hippy village of Orgiva, which attracts people living alternative lifestyles from all over the world.
The Foreign Office said it was liaising with the Spanish authorities and had contacted the family to offer support.
Investigation: One of the theories being investigated today was that the tragedy happened after a miscalculation relating to the length of the bungee rope
Specialist rescuers took 25 minutes to reach Kleyo but could only pronounce her dead after freeing her
An investigating judge has launched a probe into the tragedy.
He is expected to call a series of witnesses in for questioning after analysing police reports and ordering specialist assessments of what went wrong.
One of the theories being investigated today was that the tragedy happened after a miscalculation relating to the length of the rope.
Miss de Abreu was staying with her aunt, who has a house in the Granada area.
She was taken to the jump spot by a Granada-based firm specialising in adventure activities including bungee-jumping, white water rafting and paint balling.
No-one from the firm, thought to be run by a PE teacher, was available for comment today.
A worker at another specialist company which does bungee-jumping from the same bridge said the firm at the centre of the tragedy advertised jumps with the offer of alcoholic drinks.
The worker, who did not want to be named, said it was normal for beer cans to be left on the bridge after the company organised jumps, and described the combination of alcohol and bungee-jumping as 'worrying.'
Danger: The spot Kleyo jumped from - a 20-year-old metallic bridge crossing high above the River Tablate - is around 260 feet above an ancient Roman bridge which she smashed into
Picturesque: Lanjaron lies about 35 miles from the city of Granada and is famous for its mineral water
The Guardia Civil said they were unable to comment on the claims but would be investigating and said the owner of the company that organised the jump would be called in for questioning as part of the investigation into the tragedy.
Lanjaron lies about 35 miles from Granada and is the first town in the western Alpujarras people reach when travelling from the beautiful southern Spanish city.
It is considered the gateway to the region and is famous for its mineral water which is sold throughout Spain.
The area is popular with expats and the hippy village of Orgiva, where people with alternative lifestyles from all over the world congregate, is close by.
The judicial investigation into the tragedy is being headed by an Orgiva-based judge.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: 'We are urgently looking into reports of the death of a British National in Spain and stand ready to provide consular assistance.'
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