KEY POINTS
- 27-year-old American disappeared July 9 while solo hiking in Pyrenees
- Body found Aug. 8 on Monte Perdido after 650-foot fall
- Rhodes College graduate, lived in Amsterdam and worked as an engineer
On July 9, Cole Henderson, a 27-year-old American software engineer living in Amsterdam, set off for a solo hike in Spain's Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park. He had parked his car in the village of Torla and messaged friends to say he was starting the trek and putting his phone on airplane mode. Concern arose when he missed his scheduled flight back to the Netherlands on July 13, prompting friends to alert authorities.
After weeks of intensive searching involving helicopters, drones and rescue teams, Henderson's body was discovered on August 8 on the north face of Monte Perdido, the third-highest peak in the Pyrenees. Authorities believe he fell about 650 feet in a remote and treacherous area, requiring a crane to recover his remains.
Henderson, a Rhodes College graduate who worked for Dexter Energy, was remembered as an avid hiker, runner and meticulous planner. Friends described him as someone who brought people together with his warm and social nature, leaving an irreplaceable gap in the lives of those who knew him.
