A cyclist who disappeared in Europe after eating wild mushrooms has been found dead in Italy.
Father-of-two Stephen Harper, 38, left Dundee last year to cycle to India but got lost during his adventure.
the The alarm was raised in December After the Scot failed to contact family and friends for almost a month.
His radio silence came after he foraged, boiled and ate wild mushrooms near Monaco.
In his last known letter, Stephen told his sister-in-law that he was ill and felt like he had eaten something he “shouldn't have.”
It has now emerged that Stephen fell off a cliff in Ventimiglia, a few miles from the French-Italian border, an hour after the message he sent on 23 November.
Speaking to Sky News, his older brother Dale Harper said: “I'm proud of him, but I'm absolutely devastated to know he's not there anymore.”
Dale, 40, had traveled to France Last month, he tried to trace his brother's last known steps towards… ItalyBut he returned home to Dundee without any news.
Stephen and Dale Harper. Photo: Dale Harper
Shortly after Christmas, Dale received a phone call that a body matching Steven's description had been found.
Dale traveled to Italy at the beginning of January to meet his brother.
“The search ended with great sadness with the discovery of Stephen’s body in Italy,” Dale said in a Facebook post on Sunday.
Dale said Stephen was seen falling from a cliff overlooking the harbor in Ventimiglia and nearby workers rushed to help him. A helicopter was dispatched, but he reportedly died from internal bleeding as a result of his fall.
Stephen's passport was said to have been stolen during a robbery earlier in November, which could lead to a delay in identification.
“We are still waiting for the toxicology report, but from the evidence we have it seems likely that Steven became delirious from the toxins, lost his balance and fell with his belongings,” Dale said.
“He just made a mistake, and there was no malice in it.”
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“I take comfort in knowing that he was doing what he wanted to do, he didn't want for anything, and he was surrounded by people in his final moments in a place he always said he wanted to die — a beautiful, wonderful place,” Dale added. It won't get much prettier than it is now.”
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been contacted for comment.
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