This page has been re-posted 27/12/2016 with the latest year at the top of the of the page.
Please click on the link to go to the new page.
Every year a few pilgrims die whilst on the Camino. Some have heart attacks, others die of existing conditions, and many more are killed on the roads by vehicles. The numerous memorials erected by the loved ones of those who lost their lives on the Camino are a poignant reminder that with over 500 000 pilgrims on the Caminos, deaths will occur.
In the middle ages, if a pilgrim died whilst on a pilgrimage, they would by-pass purgatory and go straight to heaven. It is a comforting thought for those who have lost loved ones on the Camino. May they all rest in peace,
1986
Alice de Craemer , pilgrim Belgian cyclist, died July 1, 1986 in
Navarrete (La Rioja) hit by a vehicle whilst on pilgrimage with her husband who was
injured.
1987
Heinrich Krause , German cyclist pilgrim 26, died Aug. 31, 1987 in El Acebo (Leon) in accident on his bicycle.
1989
Charles Prosper Remmy , Strasbourg French cyclist pilgrim, a priest of 56 years, died on August 17, 1989 in the village of La Granja (Sarria, Lugo) from cardiac arrest.
1993
Mario Rafael Gonzalez , Spanish pilgrim, died on July 4, 1993 in Los Arcos (Navarre) hit by a vehicle.
Guillermo Watt , Swiss pilgrim died on August 25, 1993 in Salceda (La Coruña).
Mariano Sanchez Covisa Carro, Spanish pilgrim, died on September 24, 1993 in Cerceda (Arca, La Coruña).
1995
Nicolaas Adrianus Henricus Theeeuwes , Dutch cyclist pilgrim 54, died on July 12, 1995.1995 in Sahagún (León) hit by a car while returning to his country.
Jose Rodriguez Marcos, pilgrim rider 60 years, a native of Oviedo, died on July 25, 1995 between Palas de Rey and Monterroso (Lugo) following a heart attack.
1996:
Paul Rolf Bäcker , Dutch cyclist pilgrim, died on June 14, 1996 in the hostel Melide (La Coruna) of a heart attack.
1998
Manfred Kress , German cyclist pilgrim 60, died on June 9, 1998 at Camino Real Bercianos (Leon).
1999
Libertad de Ramón , Enrique Lopez, Natividad Alonso and Carmen Navarro, bus pilgrims from the Diocese of Astorga, died on May 23, 1999 when their bus had an accident.
Francisco Javier Fernandez Azcona , pilgrim Oteiza 34, Navarre, drowned in Finisterre on 27 March 1999 after completing his pilgrimage
Emilio Muñoz Guerrero, a pilgrim from San Sebastian de los Reyes (Madrid), died on May 4, 1999 while climbing the Alto de Erro (Navara).
Iñaki Esnal Murga , Spanish pilgrim who died on May 21, 1999 in Rabanal del Camino (Leon).
Melendo Bernedi Sabin, a pilgrim from Bilbao, 62, died on June 5, 1999 in Leon at the start of his pilgrimage.
Javier Mendez Biurrun, pilgrim of Tafalla (Navarra), died on June 22, 1999 at the hostel in Leon.
G. Clifford Noylan, pilgrim American cyclist, died on July 9 on the N-120 at the entrance of Navarrete (La Rioja) - he was run over by a truck.
Lionel Douhaud, French pilgrim, died on July 22, 1999 shortly before reaching Melide (La Coruña) he was hit by a van
2000
Francisco Juarez Arbeloa, from Leganes (Madrid), 59, died July 11, 2000 in Melide (La Coruna) of a heart attack.A Spanish Pilgrim, born in Sabadell (Barcelona), cyclist, died near Ponferrada (León) hit by a
vehicle.
Miguel Angel Rocino, born in Buenos Aires, who died on 13-11-2000 aged 67.
2001
Jouko Juhani Tyyri , Finnish pilgrim, died on May 9, 2001 at the pilgrim's hostel in Ponferrada (León) in his sleep.
2002
A Brazilian Peregrino , 48 years old, disappeared on January 13, 2002 in the Pyrenees and found dead on January 23, 2002 by two pilgrims.A French Pilgrim , 78 years old, disappeared on April 3, 2002 between Saint-Jean-Pied de Port and Roncesvalles and found dead a few days later by hikers near Ortzanzurieta (Navarra).
Catherine Marie Kimpton , Canadian pilgrim, died on June 2, 2002 in Villatuerta (Navarra) hit by a car. Her husband was injured.
A French Pilgrim, walking with his wife, died June 4 in Sarria (Lugo).
Klanke Ulbrich, German pilgrim 59, died on June 25, 2002.
Braum Henrietta, German pilgrim who was struck by a vehicle on June 25, 2002 and died June 27 in Pamplona (Navarra).
José María Huerta Otero, 25 pilgrim of Cadiz, died July 11, 2002 in the shelter of Rabanal del Camino (Leon) due to meningitis.
JRBF, pilgrim Lodosa (Navarra), 49, died on August 17, 2002 in the shelter of el Ganso (Leon).
A Canadian Peregrina, 49, died in 2002 at the hostel of Sarria (Lugo).
Shingo Yamashita , a veteran Japanese pilgrim, 64-year-old was found dead on November 8, 2002 between Linzoaín and Zubiri (Navarra).
2003
Myra Brennan (52 yrs) of Kilkenny and Sligo, Ireland, died in her sleep at the end of her second Camino in Santiago 24.06.2003
Francis J. Barte , French pilgrim and 59 Athos-Aspis, died March 5, 2003 near Valcarlos (Navarra).
Lukassen , Dutch cyclist pilgrim, died on June 7, 2003 climbing to Cebreiro (Lugo).
Bertaco Giovanni , Italian pilgrim 73, died on August 12, 2003 in Camponaraya (Leon)
2004
Bongardt W. Hubert , German cyclist pilgrim 66, died May 18 in the town of Moratinos (Palencia) - hit by a van.
Surda Anton , Slovak pilgrim, died on May 22, 2004 in Legarda (Navarra) - hit by a car.
Chápuli Alande Vicente , Valencia Pilgrim 35, died on July 24, 2004 in San Justo de la Vega (León) - hit by a vehicle.
Barttolo Revelatto, Italian cyclist pilgrim 61, died on August 14, 2004 in Ponferrada (Leon) in his sleep at his hotel.
Robert Edmond, Pilgrim 56, died on August 21, 2004 in Valverde de la Virgen (Leon) after a stroke.
Luis Hoyos, pilgrim rider Villaba (Navarra), 24, died on August 23, 2004 in Mansilla de las Mulas (León) - run over by a van.
Ramon Gonzalez de Mendoza Diego Villacé, pilgrim of Extremadura, died on April 21, 2004.
Bernhard Stefan Jüttner, German pilgrim 63, died on September 12, 2004 in the shelter of Sahagún (León) in his sleep.
An Italian Pilgrim with terminal cancer, died on Sept. 21 at the Cathedral of Santiago after fulfilling his pilgrimage.
2005
Francis Marsac , French pilgrim who came from Le Puy, died on May 16, 2005.Zumsande Werner, a pilgrim who came from Saint Jean Pied de Port, died on May 24, 2005 in El Cebreiro (Lugo) after a heart attack.
Jean Marchandy, French cyclist pilgrim, died on June 1, 2005 in Tiebas (Navarra) hit by a vehicle.
Jose Manuel Llamazares Alvarez , 69 Spanish pilgrim coming from Oviedo, died on July 1, 2005 in Santiago de Compostela after fulfilling his pilgrimage.
PG, French pilgrim of 65 years walking with his wife, died on September 15, 2005 in the shelter of Astorga (León) after a heart attack.
Ana Teresa Hernandez, Spanish pilgrim 19, died on September 18, 2005 in Gonzar (Lugo) due to arteriosclerosis.
2006
Torremocha Carlos Lorenzo, pilgrim and hospitalero veteran of 63 years, died on January 8, 2006 in Tres Cantos (Madrid) after a heart attack - just 15 kilometres after starting the road from his home in Madrid.
Christine Gall, French pilgrim who died after starting her pilgrimage to Saint Jean Pied de Port.
Vanhersecke Claude, French pilgrim who died after starting his pilgrimage in Le Puy.
Benno Lignau, German pilgrim veteran of 69 years who started his fifth pilgrimage at Canfranc , died on the morning of June 17, 2006 at a hotel in Mansilla de las Mulas (León) in his sleep
Inigo Ibarrondo, pilgrim from Seville, 48, began the Via de la Plata in Seville and died at the end of its second stage, on August 4, 2006 at the hostel of Castilblanco de los Arroyos (Sevilla) due to cardiac arrest.
Santino Joseph Campo and Julian Manzano , 50 and 51, both friends and strangers and hospitaleros that after a pilgrimage to Santiago on the Camino Portuguese, on their journey back home, died on August 21, 2006 in Villada (Palencia) in train accident.
Higinio Aguado, Spanish pilgrim of 67 years of age, died on September 8 in Villafranca Montes de Oca (Burgos) after suffering a fainting spell.
A Pilgrim, 62 years old, died on September 9, 2006 after Castrogeriz (Burgos) as he climbed the height of Mostelares.
Rosa Maria Seia Amorim, a Portuguese pilgrim who came by bicycle from Barcelos (Portugal), died on September 29, 2006 during the course of the last stage and close to Santiago.
Rosanna from Verona (2006) just after Zuriain
2007
Chris Phillips , 51 Scottish pilgrim left Saint Jean Pied de Port for Roncesvalles but did not arrive because of the snow. He was found the following day April 4, 2007 just 50m from the road and taken to a hospital in Pamplona, where he died of hypothermia.
Jean Bernard Andre Gros, 65 French pilgrim who walked the road with his wife, died on the afternoon of May 14, 2007 in Palas de Rei (Lugo), while resting at a hotel.
Kelly Tomas Murillo, a pilgrim of Costa Rica 61 years old, walked with his sister from Saint Jean Pied de Port, but died in May 2007 of a heart attack.
Fuhrmeister Lambert, 76 German pilgrim, who was found dead on June 9, 2007 after passing Puente la Reina (Navarra),
Marcia Schiavon, Brazillian pilgrim passed 21th June 2007, in Boadilla del Camino, from heart attack in her sleep.
Gonzalo Bañolas Bolaños , pilgrim Canary 46, died on June 26, 2007 in Burgos where he was about to start walking the Camino de Santiago.
Jesus Sanchez, pilgrim rider from Vitoria (Alava) who did the Camino with his son, was hit by a car on July 28, 2007 and died on 31 at a hospital in Orense.
Gilles Chanovin, 58 French pilgrim who came from Le Puy, died on August 7, 2007 early in the morning after being hit by a car on the slope of Pieros (Leon)
Andrés García Pelayo, pilgrim rider Algeciras (Cádiz), 41, died on September 5, 2007 after fainting while climbing the Cebreiro.
James Niergang , French pilgrim 63, died on the night of 15 to 16 October 2007 at the hostel of Nájera (La Rioja) in his sleep.
2008
Uberlinda Cortes 8-12-1945 – 21-5-2008 on her second Camino just west of Rabanal
Rodrigo Grossi, pilgrim veteran and President of Astur-Leonese Association of Friends of the Camino de Santiago (Oviedo), 74, died on May 18, 2008 near Tarrueza (Cantabria) of a heart attack while on North Road with their Association.
Paul Anthon Wharsop, pilgrim English cyclist, 60, died on May 30, 2008 between Valcarlos and the Ibañeta Pass (Navarra), of a heart attack.
Home Thomas Huete, Cuenca veteran pilgrim, 61, who was about to start in mid-July 2008 a new journey in Leon, when he died of a heart attack.
Francisco Javier Burgos Lizaldez , pilgrim of Zaragoza, 53, who made the road from the Somport, died on September 10, 2008 near Sangüesa (Navarra), of a heart attack.
Efferen Werner, German pilgrim who had istarted the Way in Saint Jean Pied de Port, died on September 13, 2008 in Foncebadón (Leon).
Jose Manuel Caudet Peris, a pilgrim of Valencia, 57, died on September 15, 2008 at the Cathedral of Santiago, as he climbed the steps to give the embrace of the Saint, of a heart attack.
Francisco Manuel Lopez Picasso, Malaga veteran pilgrim, 42, died on September 25, 2008 after spending the night in Castrogeriz (Burgos) and as he climbed the hill Mostelares.
Manuel Rodríguez Viña, pilgrim and hospitalero of Zaragoza, 55 years, while serving as a hospitalero in Arrés (Huesca) had to be rushed to hospital in Huesca, where he died on the night of 20 to 21 October 2008 of meningitis.
2009
Lucio Cardillo , Italian pilgrim, 70, died on May 26, 2009 in Burgos. His family continued the pilgrimage on his behalf.
CP, Italian cyclist pilgrim, 34, died on June
Pedro Fernandez Fernandez, a veteran pilgrim and hospitalero, 60, who had to stop in May 2009 in the shelter of Samos when he fell ill died on June 22, 2009 at a hospital in Leon.
Brants Manuel Reyes, a veteran pilgrim and hospitalero of Madrid, 45, died on August 21, 2001 while serving in the shelter in Nájera (La Rioja), of a heart attack.
Mönnigmann Josef Werner, German pilgrim Sassenberg, 60, died on September 9, 2009 in the shelter of Azofra (La Rioja), of a heart attack.
Efferen Werner, German pilgrim who came from Saint Jean Pied de Port, died on September 13, 2009 in Foncebadón (Leon).
Alfons , Belgian pilgrim died on September 29, 2009 in the shelter of Mansilla de las Mulas (León), of a heart attack.
Romain Floener, luxenburgués pilgrim who did the Portuguese Way, died in late September 2009 in Porriño (Pontevedra).
Gerhard Theodor Waber, German pilgrim of Augsburg, 57, died on December 1, 2009 at a hospital in Burgos where he had to be admitted.
2010
Anters Steffen , German pilgrim, 26, died on January 17, 2010 after being struck by a train near Sergude (La Coruna), between Vedra and Susanna, a few kilometers from Compostela.Manuel Jimenez, a veteran pilgrim from Madrid, 78, died early Sunday in April 25th, 2010 at the exit of Navarrete (La Rioja) while doing the 'Valvanerada', of a heart attack.
Juan Bautista Prats i Catala , pilgrim, 68, died the night of 28 to 29 April 2010 while he slept in the village of Hontanas (Burgos), of a heart attack.
Linus Gillis, Canadian pilgrim started in Saint Jean Pied de Port, 62 years old, died on May 17, 2010 in Terradillos of the Templars (Palencia).
Enrique Luis Ferraro, 77 Canadian died in Cacabelos Municipal Albergue on May 20, 2010 walking his 5th Camino
Christiaan Adrianus Van Gol Jacqueline, Dutch pilgrims made the journey by bicycle from his country, 71 years old, died on May 22, 2010 in Leon victim of cardiac arrest.
An Italian pilgrim, 31 years old, died on July 9, 2010 when he amounted Ibañeta (Navarra), due to heat stroke.
Carmelo Arnaiz Chaton, Spanish pilgrim, 68, died July 9 at the hostel of Avilés (Asturias) in his sleep, of a heart attack.
Guilio Recusani, Italian pilgrim, aged 26, drowned on August 20, 2010 in Finisterre, after completing the pilgrimage to Compostela and continuing to Finisterre.
George Kollen, German pilgrim, 67 years old, who performed the pilgrimage with a group of his nationality, died on the morning of October 16, 2010 between Portomarín and Sarria (Lugo), of a heart attack.
2011
Pater Georg , Bremen German pilgrim who walked the Camino de Santiago to Compostela from Porto, 68, died the day after his arrival in a pension of Santiago on April 7, 2011.
Iohannes Schouten, Dutch pilgrim, 63 years old, died on April 11, 2011 in Pamplona during their pilgrimage
Angel Perez Salinas , Navarra pilgrim who came on foot from Saint Jean Pied de Port, died on April 24, 2011 unexpectedly in Palas de Rey.
Johanna Chmel, pilgrim of Austria, died on May 10, 2011 without being able to complete the Camino in Santiago.
Skov Arne Schmidt, Danish pilgrim 76, died of a heart attack about 100m after the passing ancient the Roman Bridge before Lorca. In 2012 his widow and family members erected this iron cross in his memory.
José María del Arco , a pilgrim of Ciudad Rodrigo (Salamanca), died on June 17, 2011 in Astorga in the course of their pilgrimage.
Nicole Bigo, a pilgrim from France who began his road in Le Puy en Velay, died before reaching Santiago.
Herceg-Peterdi Reka, Hungarian pilgrim walking from Saint Jean Pied de Port died in Leon.
Cornelius Bernardus Ignatius Winter, a pilgrim from Holland, died on September 7, 2011 in Ponferrada.
Franciscus Johannes Maria van Everardus Gijzel, Dutch cyclist pilgrim coming from the shrine of Santiago de Galder (Netherlands) died on October 12, 2011.
Constantine Ferrandis Campins , Mallorca pilgrim who died unexpectedly before starting his pilgrimage, his teammates made the pilgrimage on his behalf and arrived in Santiago on October 18, 2011.
Maria del Pilar Hernandez Garnes, Castellón Pilgrim began the road in Roncesvalles and reached Logroño where she became ill and died shortly afterwards.
Miguel Rios Lamas 49 year old died on 10/09/2011
2012
Sebastien Thomas , French pilgrim coming from Mont Saint Michel, died on
March 3, 2012 in the course of his pilgrimage.
A pilgrim Italian cyclist , 67 years old, died on April 24 in the vicinity of Fuente
de Cantos (Badajoz), hit by a vehicle.
Joan Ramon Caparros Segui , Barcelona pilgrim pilgrimage began in Seville, died
suddenly on May 10, 2012 on entry to Santiago de Compostela.
Mark Byron
Dennis , pilgrim of Michigan (USA), 53
years old, died on May 31 in the shelter of Burgos, in his
sleep.
A British pilgrim
66 years old, died suddenly on
July 24 in Ponferrada, while walking on the Sil River Bridge.
Freddy
Heylen , Belgian cyclist pilgrim coming
from Antwerp, died on July 31, 2012 in Villafranca
A pilgrim in Sabadell
(Barcelona) , 64 years old, died suddenly on
August 14 in the vicinity of Castaneda (Arzúa, La Coruña), due to a heart
attack.
Eric Rudolf
Selman , Dutch pilgrim coming from
Oviedo, died on September 26, 2012 in Arzúa (La Coruña).
RNA pilgrim Tarragona Ourense resident, 65 years old, died on
September 11 in the vicinity of Lalin (Pontevedra), hit by a
vehicle.
A pilgrim Belgian , 25 years old, who was found dead on the morning of
October 24, 2012 at the viewpoint of Monte del Gozo Santiago de
Compostela.
2013
Jenaro Cebrián Franco, canon of the Cathedral of
Santiago and director of the Pilgrim Office, 77 years old, died on January 1,
2012 in Santiago de Compostela victim of a heart attack.
Gilbert Janeri, 8 March 2003 , Brazilian pilgrim, 44-year-old, who was found dead in the Ozanzurieta
close to Roncesvalles (Navarra), on March 22, 2013
Wolscanc Albert Albrecht , German pilgrim 70, died
suddenly on April 30, 2013 in the hostel Garrovillas (Cáceres)
Rev. Philip Wren 'Methodist Pilgrim' died May 2013 in Palencia on The Way".
Dario Bandera , Italian pilgrim 65 years of age, who was found dead on May 23, 2013 in the mountains of Nobla as close to Undués of Lerda (Zaragoza), victim of a stroke.
Alvia train 79 passengers who died in the derailment of his convoy in the vicinity of the station of Santiago de Compostela in the evening of July 24, 2013, on the eve of the feast of St. James
Manuel Dalmeda , volunteer hospitalero
Najera, 62 years old, died suddenly on September 7, 2013 in Azofra (La Rioja)
while visiting the latter hospitaleros population.
Two German pilgrims: HR and LWG , 43 and 49
years old respectively, who died on 20 September 2013 at the height of Pedrouzo
(Arca, La Coruña), hit by a truck while walking along the shoulder of the N-
547
Dr Agnel Lobo (60 years) died in Triacastella on the 3rd of October 2013 of a heart attack.
2014
Miguel Martinez Maestre (55 years) and José
Lillo Huertas, Alicante pilgrims traveling north to begin the Way in Villatobas (Toledo) died on April 26, 2014, when their van rolled down an
embankment.
A German pilgrim, 59, died in his bed of a heart attack on April 30, 2014 in the hostel Morgade (Lugo)
An Irish pilgrim cyclist, 65 years old, died on April 12, 2014 near Hospital Condesa(Lugo) when he
fell off his bicycle.
Pilgrim British cyclist, 71 years old, died on September 1, 2014 in Carrion de
los Condes (Palencia) of a heart attack.
Vicenta
Beltran Arnández pilgrim Valencian rider, 55 years old, died on September 5,
2014 at the hospital in Barakaldo (Vizcaya) of a stroke.
Japanese Pilgrim, 52, was found dead on November 13, 2014 in a farm shed near
to San Juan de Ortega (Burgos).
2015
April: Denise Thiem, Amerocan pilgrim who went missing, was found murdered in September
May 14: Juan
Carlos Lema Balsas 'Zapatones', pilgrim and Jacobean icon of the Compostela
pilgrimage, 61 years old, died on May 14 in Pontevedra.
19 May: Hugh
Wallace died in Santiago after completing his pilgrimage
20 May: American pilgrim found dead near Izandorre, Val Carlos.
21 May: On the Via Podiensis, a French pilgrim, walker native of Besançon 74 years old,
died between Lauzerte and Moissac
June 2: A German pilgrim, 73 years old, died of a heart attack on June 2, 2015 in the Molinaseca albergue (León)
7 June: 67 year-old pilgrim resident of Lugo died when she was hit on the N-547, passing through the town of Arca, in the Coruña municipality
of O Pino.
29 June: 20 year-old Max Hilder from Germany drowned in the sea at Finisterre
16 September: Rowland Ian Kitchen died near Sarria after completing many Camino trails
3rd
October: Roger
Chilcott of Dartmouth walking the El Camino de Santiago de Compostela trail for charity 5 October: Dr. John Leonard Goodwin of Charlottetown, age 60 years. Died suddenly, in Castrojeriz
22 October: The body of Adrian Ruiz Munuera, a native of Fuenlabrada was found after he went missing two days earlier having completed his pilgrimage in Finisterre.
2016
26 April: A 73 year-old Finnish pilgrim died after being hit by a car close to the hostel of Valença on the Portuguese route. The man was part of a group of people from Finland, had just checked in at the pilgrim hostel
28 April: A middle aged pilgrim died as a result of a bicycle accident near Tricastella.
29 April: Ron Duke, Australian pilgrim, had a fatal heart attack while sleeping peacefully on 29th April 2016 in Leon, having walked with Shirley from St Jean Pied de Port. He was 66 years old. Shirley finished the pilgrimage for both of them and received two Compostelas in Santiago.
20 May: A male pilgrim, Mr Varszegi - 53 year-old Hungarian pilgrim died of a heart attack 100 m after the Orisson auberge in Orisson on the first day of his pilgrimage
10 July: Seamus McDonagh (60) died of a heart attack hours after completing the two-week Camino Primitivo from Oviedo to Santiago.
21 July: Welsh teenager, Michael Cura 16, from Swansea, and his party were nearing the end of their charity cycle trip to Santiago when he collapsed and died in the Irago Mountains.
4 September: 70-year-old British citizen died of heat stroke on the Camino Via de La Plata after spending the previous night in a hostel in Castilblanco de los Arroyos
9 September: The body of Belgian pilgrim Jeroen Schelstraete was found in Leon. He died of wounds inflicted by unknown persons.
12 September: 41 year-old South Korean Jim Ha Cho disappeared from the beach at Finisterre.
15 September: Patrick J. Ennis passed away in San Jose, Burgos, while walking the Camino de Santiago with a friend.
4 November: Juan Francisco, ‘Paco’ , a 54 year-old Spanish pilgrim from Salamanca, walking his third Camino, died of fatal injuries after falling down a ravine between Val Carlos and Roncesvalles
27 November: 37 year-old Thomas Bellman from Germany was found dead in a ravine in the Saltacaballo area, a few kilometers before Castro Urdiales on the Camino Norte
