What happened to Steven Harper? Incident explored as missing Scottish cyclist found dead in Italy

Steven Harper, 38, a Scottish cyclist who went missing in Monaco in November, has been officially confirmed dead in Italy, as reported by the BBC. According to the publication, while attempting to cycle the Mediterranean route from Dundee, Scotland, to India, Steven Harper encountered a setback.

It is reported that Harper fell ill after consuming wild mushrooms he had foraged near Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. He is thought to have suffered a fall from a cliff near Ventimiglia while attempting to cycle from Dundee to India.

Concerned by alarming text messages from Steven Harper about his health, his older brother, Dale, 40, traveled to the south of France in November to investigate the situation.

Dale learned about his brother Steven's death in late December, although he had died much earlier. His body was kept in a local morgue in Sanremo.

---

How did Steven Harper die?

A cyclist and father of two, Steven Harper, departed from Dundee last year with the intention of cycling to India but went missing during his journey.

Concerns were raised in December when Harper failed to communicate with family and friends for approximately a month. The period of radio silence followed his consumption of foraged and boiled wild mushrooms near Monaco.

In his final known message, Steven informed his sister-in-law that he was unwell and believed he had ingested something inappropriate. Recent information by The Sun reveals that on Thursday, November 23, 2023, just an hour after sending the message, Steven fell from a cliff in Ventimiglia, located a few miles from the French-Italian border.

Dale reported that Italian authorities disclosed Steven's sighting on Thursday, witnessing his fall from a cliff near the harbor of Ventimiglia, Italy. According to reports, workers at a nearby construction site observed the incident and provided initial assistance until a helicopter arrived to transport Steven to a hospital.

Unfortunately, despite these efforts, the 28-year-old was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at the hospital.

Dale learned about the incident in late December 2023 and went on to the south of France in search of his brother. He harbored concerns that Steven Harper might have ingested a potentially dangerous mushroom, especially after Steven had been robbed of his bike and belongings in Nice. Dale confirmed in a statement on social media,

"His death was attributed to a fall from a cliff, possibly due to disorientation caused by mushroom toxins. Nearby workmen rushed to his aid but given the location, although a helicopter was immediately dispatched Steven unfortunately passed as a result of internal bleeding from the fall."

It has been reported that Steven's passport was allegedly stolen during a robbery earlier in November. This circumstance may have contributed to delays in the identification process. Dale said:

"We are still waiting on the toxicology report, but from the evidence we have it seems most likely that Steven Harper had felt delirious due to the toxins, lost balance and fell with his belongings. "

He added,

"He just made a mistake, there was no malice in this."

On Sunday,January 21, 2024, Dale took to Facebook and wrote:

"The search ended in heartbreak with the discovery of Steven's body in Italy. He had enough resources to survive but might have made a fatal mistake with the mushrooms. I take comfort in knowing he was doing what he wanted to do, wasn't wanting for anything, was surrounded by people in his last moments in a place he always said he had wanted to die."

He further added,

"I am proud of him but I am just so broken knowing he's not there any more. Anyone that has met Steven or spent time with him will know his free-spirited attitude of 'You can do what you set your mind to."

As reported by Sky News, a spokesperson from the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office stated:

"We are supporting the family of a British national who died in Italy and are in contact with the local authorities."

Dale mentioned that messages expressing condolences had poured in from "around the globe," and the family was profoundly affected by the news, feeling devastated.