A billionaire founder of a legacy fashion brand has died after falling down a ravine while hiking in Spain.
Isak Andic was the founder of Mango, which operates almost 3,000 outlets in over 120 countries, mostly in Europe.
The 71-year-old Turkish-Spaniard had been hiking through caves in the Montserrat mountains near Barcelona at around 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 14 when he reportedly slipped and fell roughly 150ft.
Shocked relatives quickly alerted emergency services who rushed to the scene via helicopter and ambulance. Despite their best efforts, Andic succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
“His departure leaves a huge void but all of us are, in some way, his legacy and the testimony of his achievements,” commented Mango CEO Toni Ruiz in a statement.
Andic’s death comes just two months after tech CEO Justin Bingham died in a similar accident. On that occasion, the 40-year-old boss of software company Opiniion fell roughly 200ft to his death while rappelling near the popular Heaps Canyon Trail in Zion National Park, Utah.
Although they’re typically considered to be safe, the Coves del Salnitre caves where Andic was hiking are not for the faint-hearted. Situated several hundred feet above sea level, routes through the caves pass along steep cliff edges and over deep ravines like the one Andic tragically fell down.
Several areas include tricky terrain, like rocky pathways without proper fencing or support.
Before attempting the trek, visitors to the mountain caves should invest in a reliable pair of hiking shoes, with adequate grip and stability.
In our expert guide, we ranked the Danner Trail 2650 Campo GTX hiking shoes as this year’s best pair for stability. Alongside a comfy, breathable outer, the Trail 2650s boast a trusty Vibram outsole with an aggressive lug pattern. This outsole improves stability on harsh rocky trails as found in the Coves del Salnitre, as the large plastic lugs grip onto uneven surfaces.
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