British father-of-three, 68, dies from altitude sickness while on dream holiday to Machu Picchu with wife
- Steve Mortimer died at the popular history spot in the mountains of Peru
- It is believed he had a reaction to the extreme altitiude
- His wife Marian called him the 'kindest, most generous, fun-loving man'
- The pair had talked about visiting the site for 30 years
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A British tourist has collapsed and died after suffering severe altitude sickness during a dream holiday to South America.
Father-of-three Stephen Mortimer, 68, was taken ill as he waited for a bus to the world famous Machu Picchu site high in the Peruvian Andes.
The retired sea pilot was rushed to a local medical centre but died soon afterwards.
Dream holiday: Steve Mortimer, seen on a recent trip to Camden Lock in London with his wife Marian, died from altitude sickness at Machu Picchu at the start of a trip of a lifetime to South America
Dad-of-three Steve Mortimer, 68, died at the 15th-century Inca site Machu Picchu in Peru
His family say they were told by a local coroner that he suffered a fatal heart attack linked to problems caused by the high altitude.
Mr Mortimer had been suffering from breathlessness for days before he collapsed in the town of Aguas Calientes, where he was waiting with his wife to be bussed to the site at 8,000ft above sea level.
Daughter Kathryn, 23, said her father’s symptoms had been more acute than others in the tour group he was travelling with.
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Share‘He suffered a heart attack but it was the altitude that brought it on,’ she said.
His widow Marian, 59, described her husband as the ‘kindest, most generous, fun-loving man’. ‘You only had to be in his company for five minutes – he put everyone at ease,’ she added.
‘He really was the life and soul of the party. We had the most amazing marriage. I am so lucky to have him in my life.’
Mr Mortimer died on July 29, two weeks into the trip.
'Fun-loving': Mr Mortimer and his wife had talked about visiting the famous Peruvian site for the past 30 years
But Mrs Mortimer was stranded in Peru for more than a week after their passports were damaged in a hotel laundry.
The teacher was turned away from the first flight she booked and had to arrange emergency travel documents so she could return home to Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire.
‘It was horrendous, your worst nightmare,’ she said.
‘We were an organised tour and six young people in the same group cancelled the rest of their holidays to wait for me in Peru so that I wouldn’t be alone.’
Mr Mortimer had two sons, Jason, 45, and Daniel, 43, from a previous marriage and daughter Kathryn with Mrs Mortimer.
He rose to the rank of captain in the Merchant Navy and worked as a Humber sea pilot before retiring in 2011. He and his wife were seasoned travellers, visiting China, Australia and North America, and were on the second leg of a world tour when Mr Mortimer died.
It is believed he died of altitude sickness. The popular tourist spot lies around 8,000ft above sea level
The pair had wanted to visit Peru’s top tourist attraction, known as the Lost City of the Incas, for 30 years.
Last September tourist Adam Savory, 25, from Eastbourne, collapsed and died in Peru while visiting the city of Cusco, which lies 11,000ft above sea level.
He had suffered altitude sickness symptoms for days before he was taken to hospital, where his condition deteriorated and he died.
His family have now set up the charity Para-Monte to highlight the dangers of altitude sickness and raise funds for research into the potentially fatal problem.
His mother Jeannet, 59, a college lecturer, said yesterday: ‘Altitude sickness is very unforgiving and doesn’t discriminate against sex or age or fitness.
‘We would urge people with symptoms to get medical advice from a local doctor straight away and not leave it for a few days in the hope it will improve.’
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