Boy, 12, dies of hypothermia after dad fell during hike in Scottish Highlands | UK | News

A father and his son died accidentally while hiking in the Scottish Highlands, an inquest has concluded. Richard Parry, 12, was found to have died of hypothermia just 100 meters from his father Thomas, who fell while walking in Glencoe.

The couple had climbed the steep and rocky summit of Bidian aka Bian on May 28, 2024, and were due to return home to Alsager at 9pm on Wednesday after traveling to Glen Nevis and Glencoe. The inquest at Stoke Coroner’s Court heard Mr Parry, 49, contacted his wife Gemma at 7.35am on the morning of their disappearance to inform them of the plan. However, he was unable to make any further contact and reported missing at 9 a.m. on May 29.

At 12:50 that day, police followed his vehicle to the parking lot of the Three Sisters, the entrance to the march. Prosecutor Fiscal, who is responsible for investigating suspicious deaths in Scotland, shared a report with the hearing.

“Officers forced entry into the vehicle at 3pm where they found a mobile phone, a survival kit, clothing, shoes, a picnic kit, a Mountain Storage backpack, a radar key, two sleeping bags and two toothbrushes, one of which clearly belonged to a child,” the letter said. DailyMail.

In the statement, it was stated that the Glencoe Mountain Rescue team was assigned to search the area at 15.37 with the support of the Coast Guard rescue helicopter and Lake District teams trained in the region.

A total of 44 people were deployed and they found the bodies of the father and son on the mountain at around 19.25.

The report concluded: “At 7:25 p.m., rescue volunteers located remains matching the deceased. Serious injuries consistent with a fall from a height were observed. Life was declared extinct.”

“Further up the slope was a backpack containing his driver’s license. The deceased’s son was found about 100 meters away, also deceased.”

A mountain guide was stopped by a man and a child on the day he went missing, a court heard. The man asked the guide for advice on how to get to the top.

In the witness report read during the investigation, it was stated that the couple had only a basic map showing the GPS route and the contour lines of the mountain.

Sharing his detailed map, the guide explained that the ground was steep and there were a row of rocks around the summit.

The mountain guide said that when he saw the couple, the weather started to deteriorate and visibility dropped to only 30 meters due to low cloud.

Dr., who carried out the autopsy examination at the Inverness Cellular Pathology Department. Natasha Ingles said she believed Mr Parry’s injuries showed he died from chest and head trauma as a result of the presumed fall.

He told the inquest: “Whilst this was a simple accidental fall, a medical incident cannot be completely ruled out. He was known to be suffering from leg pain and this may have led to the fall.”

He confirmed Mr Parry was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Dr Ingles said his son, Richard Parry, was likely injured by a fall he did not witness and then died from exposure to cold weather.

He said there was evidence of head trauma, lower extremity injuries and superficial skin injury “consistent with a fall.”

“The bruising on the scalp indicates at least two blows to the head, which may have led to loss of consciousness and subsequent development of hypothermia.”

He said hypothermia could kill within an hour and Richard may be at higher risk due to his age and slim build.

Senior Coroner Andrew Barkley accepted the recommended medical causes of death, stating that Mr Parry died as a result of head and chest trauma, while Richard died as a result of exposure.

He concluded that the deaths were accidental.