image source, dale harper
Stephen Harper was found dead in Italy last month.
A Scottish cyclist who went missing near Monaco has been found dead in Italy, his family has said.
Stephen Harper, 38, is believed to have fallen off a cliff near Ventimiglia while cycling from Dundee to India in November.
His brother Dale said he feared the father-of-two had eaten deadly mushrooms after his bike and belongings were stolen in Nice.
A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said officials were supporting the family.
Dale, 40, flew to the south of France after his family received an email from Stephen saying he was “feeling sick” after eating mushrooms while foraging near Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.
He was not informed that his brother’s body had been found until late December.
Dale said he was informed by Italian authorities that Stephen was seen falling on November 23, hours after the message was sent.
Construction workers came to his rescue and a helicopter carried him off a cliff overlooking the port of Ventimiglia.
He was pronounced dead a short time later, and his body was placed in the Sanremo morgue.
image source, dale harper
Dale (right) hasn’t seen Stephen (left) since leaving Dundee for a trip to India in 2022.
In a statement on social media, he said he was concerned that his brother had made the “fatal mistake” of eating dangerous mushrooms, but did not know what kind of mushrooms he had eaten. He said it was unclear.
“His death is believed to have been caused by a fall from a cliff, possibly due to disorientation caused by the mushroom toxin,” Dale said.
“It was comforting to know that he was doing what he wanted to do, that he didn’t want anything, and that in his final moments he was surrounded by people in the place he always said he wanted to die.”
Stephen had traveled through Andorra, Spain and France and was understood to be following the Mediterranean route through Europe.
Mr Dale said he had received messages of condolence from “all over the world” and his family was “devastated” by the news.
She added: “I’m so proud of him, but I’m really heartbroken to know that he’s no longer with us.
“Anyone who has ever met or spent time with Steven knows his free-spirited attitude that he can do anything he sets his mind to. ”