16-year-old British student dies during climbing expedition in Costa Rica

The parents of a British student killed while rock climbing in Costa Rica released a statement Friday paying tribute to their son, the BBC said.

Lucas Drummond, 16, died during a fall while rappelling down a rock face in Santa Ana, in west San José, on April 4. Drummond, an experienced climber, was leading an expedition of four along with a Costa Rican supervisors, but he was believed to be out of sight when the fatal fall occurred.

The BBC wrote that Drummond’s parents flew to Costa Rica last week, and were believed to be repatriating the body. On Friday, Carol and John Drummond released a statement on the accident:

“We are devastated by the loss of our son Lucas, who was a devoted and loving brother and son to us and friend to so many.

“He was given the opportunity to study abroad in a multicultural international school with an ethos of being able to help others while learning about themselves.

“This was like a dream come true for Lucas and an opportunity to help develop his lively mind and his spirit for adventure which was a strong part of his being. He died doing what he loved.

Drummond was studying Spanish at the United World College in Costa Rica as part of an international baccalaureate program. The climbing trip had been done through an extracurricular program offered by the school, according to The Daily Telegraph. Drummond, from northern London, had been in Costa Rica for seven months.

The Daily Telegraph said authorities have launched an investigation, and are looking into climbing gear and ropes used during the expedition that resulted in Drummond’s death:

A spokesman for the college said: “Lucas was a very experienced climber and had climbed competitively in the UK. He was leading the descent ahead of the rest of the party and, as far as I am aware, no one saw what happened.

“The emergency services were called and the Judicial Investigation Department is now investigating.