Ernesto Sánchez La Cruz
Ernesto Sánchez La Cruz (* 1883 in Jajó , Trujillo State , Venezuela ) was a Venezuelan explorer, naval officer and prospector who, in 1910, was the first white man to see the Angel Falls ( Salto Ángel ), the largest free-falling waterfalls in the world (978 m). He spent the rest of his life in South America, but never published his discovery, so it was ignored or quickly forgotten. However, he informed the Ministry of Mining and Hydropower (Spanish: Ministerio de Minas e Hidrocarburos) in Caracas about his discovery.
The world only found out about the waterfalls in 1937 through the rediscoverer Jimmie Angel , whose name they also bear today.
Sir Walter Raleigh is sometimes mistakenly believed to have discovered the Angel Falls.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | La Cruz, Ernesto Sánchez |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Venezuelan explorer, naval officer and prospector |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1883 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Jajó , Trujillo State , Venezuela |
| DATE OF DEATH | after 1910 |