Following the discovery of the 28-year-old Belgian trekker Natacha de Crombrugghe, who had gone missing in Peru, various experts have advanced their different theories on her death to the Peruvian publication El Popular.
Having disappeared towards the end of January, de Crombrugghe’s parents finally received confirmation that their daughter had passed after a fatal fall near the Culca River.
Following this discovery, the Peruvian newspaper El Popular asked Dany Humpire Molina, a forensic expert, as well as Joel Quicaña, a rescuer, to give their thoughts on what may have led to the Belgian’s tragic death.
Molina revealed that de Crombrugghe’s cause of death was a fatal blow to the front of the skull and that her remains were found between the river and nearby rocks.
As a result, Molina believes that de Crombrugghe fell to her death into the river, especially given that freshwater decomposes bone tissue more quickly. However, he also advanced the theory that nearby scavengers may have found her body.
Furthermore, he did not rule out the possibility that she was attacked, but indicated that “further examination of the body would be needed.”
Joel Quicaña, a rescuer with more than 30 years of experience, agreed with Molina with regards to a fatal fall into the river. He did however provide his own theory.
“I think she was on one of the two bridges on the Culca river,” he explained, “and I think she then tried to take a selfie, tripped and she fell into the river.”
He put this belief down to the fact that, had she fallen anywhere else, it would have left footprints on the hills or traces of her fall.
