British Cyclist’s Final Message Before Dying in Morocco Earthquake

While he was doing a charity cycling ride of nearly 2,600 km between Agadir and Santander, Spain, to raise funds for the Red Cross, David Barden, a 71-year-old Briton, a retired teacher, perished in the violent 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Morocco on the night of Friday, September 8 to Saturday. His daughter Sarah, 41, says he sent her a last SMS 40 minutes before his death. "I’m at the top of a mountain: "I’m at the top of a mountain range in a place called Tizi n Test. A weird day... xxx," summarizes the message. Father and daughter spoke every day before the disaster.

The British cyclist arrived in Morocco on the night of September 8. Although he was supposed to stay at the La Belle Vue hotel 8 km from La Belle Vue, located at the top of the mountain, in the remote Tizi N’test region, he felt too tired to cycle up the mountain. He then decided to spend the night at the Café Sunset, 8 km from the establishment. The earthquake occurs and the veranda of the café collapses on David. Not knowing if her father survived or died, Sarah contacted Hamza Boumazough, the owner of the La Belle Vue hotel. He helped her find the septuagenarian. Boumazough and other residents found David’s body under the earthquake rubble the next morning.

"Without Hamza, who took care of the formalities with the authorities, we would not have found him," Sarah tells The Liverpool Echo. Hamza lost his home and business, and walked about eight kilometers to extract my father from the rubble." The death of the British retiree caused emotion in the United Kingdom. "Everyone at the British Red Cross is devastated to learn of the tragic death of our long-time supporter, Dave Barden, in Morocco," says Mike Adamson, CEO of the British Red Cross.

"Dave was an inspiring fundraiser whose recent efforts had taken him to travel 12,000 miles through 20 different countries, raising over £4,000 to support the most vulnerable people. We extend our deepest condolences to his family at this very difficult time," he adds. Sarah also paid tribute to him. "I don’t know how to go on without my father. My father was my light and my life, the one who picked me up when I fell, sometimes literally. [...] He has friends all over the world, from Los Angeles to Beijing and Sydney, because he was loyal to the core."