Missing Dundee cyclist confirmed dead in Italy cliff fall
- Published
Steven Harper was found dead in Italy last month
A Scottish cyclist who went missing near Monaco was found dead in Italy, his family has confirmed.
Steven Harper, 38, is believed to have fallen from a cliff near Ventimiglia in November, while attempting to pedal from Dundee to India.
His brother, Dale, said he feared that the dad-of-two had eaten a potentially lethal mushroom after being robbed of his bike and possessions in Nice.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said officials were assisting his family.
Dale, 40, flew out to the south of France after the family received texts from Steven saying he felt "unwell" having eaten the fungi while foraging near Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.
He was not informed that his brother's body had been found until late December.
Dale said Italian authorities told him that Steven was seen falling on 23 November, hours after the messages were sent.
Workers on a building site came to his aid and a helicopter carried him from the cliffside overlooking Ventimiglia's harbour.
He was pronounced dead a short time later and his body kept in a morgue in Sanremo.
Dale, right, has not seen Steven, left, since he left Dundee on his trip to India in 2022
In statement on social media, he said he was concerned that his brother had made a "fatal mistake" by eating dangerous mushrooms, but said it was unclear what kind of fungi he had eaten.
Dale said: "His death was attributed to a fall from a cliff, possibly due to disorientation caused by mushroom toxins.
"I take comfort in knowing he was doing what he wanted to do, wasn't wanting for anything, was surrounded by people in his last moments in a place he always said he had wanted to die."
Steven had travelled through Andorra, Spain and France and was understood to be following the Mediterranean route through Europe.
Dale said he had received messages of condolence from "all over the world" and the family had been left "devastated" by the news.
He added: "I am proud of him but I am just so broken knowing he's not there any more.
"Anyone that has met Steven or spent time with him will know his free-spirited attitude of 'You can do what you set your mind to'."
- Published21 December 2023
