Backpacker, 19, fell to his death during solo trek on the highest peak of Morocco’s Atlas Mountains after ignoring parents’ plea to go with guide
- Connor Jarvis died while trekking through the Atlas Mountains alone in 2016
- His inquest heard his parents had urged him to book a guide for the trip
- Coroner hears he died of head injuries after falling during his mountain trek
A teen backpacker fell to his death while trekking through the Atlas Mountains in Morocco without a tour guide, an inquest has heard today.
Connor Jarvis, 19, flew to Morocco in May 2016 while travelling but later went missing in the north African mountain range.
His body was found on Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains, on June 4, 2016, 12 days after he set off.
His parents John and Sian say they advised their son to book a local tour guide for his trek and ‘not to wander off on his own’.
But they said Connor became ‘over-confident’ after downloading an online guide to solo trekking, Avon Coroner’s Court heard.
Connor Jarvis, from Somerset, died after trying to trek through the Atlas Mountains on his own
Assistant coroner Dr Peter Harrowing recorded a short narrative conclusion, stating that Connor died of injuries sustained after a fall whilst trekking in the Atlas Mountains.
In a statement read to the inquest, Connor’s father John Jarvis, from Timsbury, Somerset, said that Connor had been interested in returning to Morocco after a family holiday there in 2010.
He said: ‘In April 2016, I booked return flights for Connor to Marrakech, where he wanted to do an organised tour.
‘He purchased clothes and equipment for the trip, and on May 7 2016, Sian and I went on a two-week holiday and said goodbye to Connor – it was the last time we saw him.’
An inquest heard his parents had advised him to hire a guide to help him on the trek
Connor’s parents kept in contact with him between May 7 and May 17, and transferred money into his account for his trip.
On May 23, he told them he was beginning a two-day mountain trek.
Mr Jarvis said: ‘I did some research on the mountain area, and advised him to use the services of a local guide.
‘I told him not to wander off on his own as we would be worried.
‘He replied on the evening of May 22 saying that he had researched the trip, but if he felt he needed a guide he would book one.’
Connor’s body was found following an extensive search by Moroccan authorities. Beside him was a grey coat and a backpack..
Post-mortem examinations carried out in both Morocco and the UK found he died as a result of multiple organ haemorrhage, caused by severe head injuries.
After the inquest, Connor’s parents said: ‘The past three years have been extremely difficult for all of Connor’s family.
‘When Connor was missing, our feeling of complete frustration, helplessness and desperation was unbearable.
‘As parents, we had both asked Connor not to attempt the hike on his own, and both suggested that he used the services of a local guide.’
The Atlas Mountains extend across north-west Africa, spanning Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia
The couple added: ‘If he had travelled with a guide or in a group he might still have fallen but would have been found much sooner.
‘We acknowledge the professionalism of the Moroccan Gendarmerie who organised the search for Connor using extensive resources.
‘We also thank everybody who helped recover Connor from the mountainside. We know that this was a difficult operation over a long distance, but it was carried out with great dignity.’
His parents added that they have also made sure that the Foreign Commonwealth Office offer advice for UK citizens wishing to trek in the Atlas Mountains to use a guide.
They said: ‘We all miss Connor so much, our lives will never be the same, and we have done all we can to try to make sure that such a tragedy doesn’t happen again on Mount Toubkal.’
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