A New Zealander has been killed in Bolivia while cycling the Yungas Road, known as Death Road because of how dangerous it is.
Grimly known as “Death Road“, Yungas Road links La Paz, the capital, to Coroico and claims the lives of around 300 people each year.
Emile Vollenhoven and Brittany Homan had been holidaying in South America before the incident unfolded.
Vollenhoven died after falling down a cliff in rainy conditions during a mountain bike tour.
The cycling tour up the road that he was on is 64k in length with a vertical descent of 3,600 metres. While the first third of the route is a paved road, as it climbs it becomes a single lane dirt track with a sheer drop off the side.
Guides were made aware of the accident after Vollenhoven did not arrive at one of the prescribed stops, at which point they rode back up the road and identified where he had fallen off the road.
The lead guide abseiled down to where he had fallen, about 100 metres below the road, and determined that there was no sign of life.
“My baby. My soulmate. My everything. 5 years were not enough but I will cherish every moment we had,” Homan wrote on Instagram.
“Fly high my angel, wait for me up there, I’ll always be yours.”
