Three people die at same Brecon Beacons beauty spot as warning issued

Clearer signs are needed after three people died on the popular waterfall hiking route in the Brecon Beacons, a coroner said.

Helen and Rachael Patching, aged 52 and 33, from Kent, died in January 2023, and Corey Longdon, 26, from Gloucester, died in June 2024 during their visit to the area known as Waterfall Country in the Brecon Beacons.

South Wales central deputy coroner Rachel Knight said she would publish a report to prevent future deaths and call for improvements to the mobile phone signal in the area.

Knight felt it was “unusual” for three investigations to be held together but felt the issues were “similar” due to the location and events leading up to the deaths.

Thursday’s hearing heard that Helen and Rachael Patching, of West Malling, Kent, were “happiest climbing mountains” and shared a love of the outdoors as well as a passion for animals, volunteering and fundraising for animal charities.

Their families said the couple, who married in 2015, were a “perfect fit” and their deaths left a “deep and lasting impact”.

The body of Helen Patching, who worked for the probation service, was found at Sgwd y Pannwr on 5 January 2023, a day after the couple went missing; Rachael Patching, who studied animal behaviorism, was found in the River Neath near the Spring Lake campsite in Glynneath on January 8.

The search for the couple was launched after members of the public noticed what they thought was a body in the waterfall, but “no witnesses saw Rachael or Helen enter the water”.

The inquest heard the couple’s families believed they would not have entered the water voluntarily as they appeared to still be wearing full clothing when spotted, adding that the pair were “experienced walkers”.

They probably thought one of the women had fallen into the water and the other was trying to save them.

Corey Longdon, a holiday park entertainer, visited the area with his aunt Lisa Lane and had camped out for the night ahead of the walk near Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn on 26 June 2024.

His family said he was “the happiest he’d ever been” before the trip and loved listening to music and performing.

His aunt said that while she was walking, her nephew left her to find a shortcut and after a while he heard “a very loud splash and someone screaming for help.”

Another witness said they heard “the sound of something breaking and the sound of a man falling off the mountainside into the water” from the top of a cliff about 100 feet high at a location known as Precipice Walk.

The 26-year-old was taken to hospital by plane but suffered a heart attack. He was pronounced dead at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff later the same day.

The coroner concluded that Rachael, Helen Patching and Corey Longdon died as a result of the accident.

He said it was unclear how Rachael or Helen got into the water, but “one of the women accidentally went into the water and the other took off her backpack to attempt a rescue.”

He said the cause of death was drowning.

It was stated that the cause of death of Corey Longdon was hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy brain damage, traumatic cardiac arrest and falling from a height.

Knight said he would publish another report on preventing future deaths because “new issues are emerging.”

“Phone signal is weak or nonexistent” and “a solution should be considered,” he said.

“I am also concerned that the routes are not adequately or clearly explained and I believe that better and more frequent explanations are needed.”

The court heard that the area, called Waterfall Country, is extremely popular with visitors, attracting 250,000 walkers a year with scores of visitors following the Four Waterfalls Walk, a three-hour, 9-kilometer (5.6-mile) trail covering the waterfalls of Sgwd yr Eira, Sgwd Uchaf Clun-Gwyn, Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn and Sgwd y Pannwr.

The hearing, attended by Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and three local authorities, was told ownership and land management was a “complex picture”.

Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority CEO Catherine Mealing-Jones said the organization was “literally holding our breath every day hoping that people would be safe.”

He said the route, called Route 86, was permanently closed after the accidents and more staff were stationed at entry points within the huge park area to ensure people were aware of the risks.

The court heard that the family of a man who drowned trying to save relatives in September 2023 offered “funds for life-saving rings at each of the waterfalls” but were refused.

Mealing-Jones said the intervention was “more likely to cause injury” and “could be interpreted as swimming being permitted”.

Following the man’s death, a report was published by the same coroner on preventing future deaths and called for action regarding signs in the area.

Mealing-Jones said a joint security advisory group with members of the National Park Service and NRW “meet regularly” to discuss security and management of the site.

Guided walk leader Andrew Lamb, who has been walking the trails for decades, told the inquest that on some occasions he had been found at one of the main waterfalls with “50 people in swimming costumes” among around 200 people.

He said the focus should be on “how this space is actually used, rather than how planners want people to use it.”

Sgwd Isaf said there was often “chaos” in Clun-Gwyn and the closure of route 86 had not helped.

“It needs to be a circular route and there should be signs along the way,” he added.

Sam Jones, representing North Rhine-Westphalia, said significant investments had been made since the deaths, including a new route and fencing.