A former employee of Harrods from Britain who also worked in public relations tragically perished along with four others in a severe blizzard while hiking in Patagonia.
The deceased, identified as Victoria Bond, in her thirties, lost her life in the Torres del Paine nature reserve in Chile during adverse weather conditions akin to a Category 3 hurricane. Nine tourists went missing due to heavy rainfall and hurricane-force winds, resulting in the tragic deaths of Victoria, two Mexican nationals, and two Germans on Monday. A search team comprising over 20 individuals was deployed to locate the missing individuals. Victoria had a successful career in public relations, specializing in promoting renowned brands and the travel industry.
José Antonio Ruiz, the presidential delegate of Magallanes, verified the deaths of the five tourists, indicating that they veered off course close to the Los Perros camp in the park, a four-to five-hour hike from the nearest vehicle-accessible point.
Victoria was trekking the Paine Massif Circuit, also known as the O Circuit, when the group encountered the blizzard, as reported on social media.
The British national served as a PR manager for Visit Isles of Scilly in Cornwall and was actively engaged with the Roseland Festival in the local community. Victoria held this position for over six years, specializing in communication within the travel and lifestyle sectors, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Previously, Victoria worked in the high-end fashion industry as a public relations executive for fine jewelry and watches at Harrods from 2014 to 2015.
She also undertook roles as a luxury consulting director at a PR agency and a senior account director at another public relations firm.
Victoria extensively documented her global travels on social media. Noteworthy trips in the past year included visits to Athens and a remarkable catamaran experience, rating it as a “10/10 life adventure.” She also shared moments from destinations such as Barbados and Costa Rica.
Chilean president Gabriel Boric conveyed his condolences following the tragic incident on Monday. In a statement on X, the president expressed sympathy to the families and friends of the five victims from Mexico, Germany, and Britain, assuring them of Chile’s support during this challenging time.
The Mexican victims were identified as Cristina Calvillo Tovar and Julian Garcia Pimentel, and the German victims were Nadine Lichey and Andreas Von Pein.
An FCDO