Latest news with #EryriNationalPark
BBC News
14 hours ago
- BBC News
Eryri police find bodies of men missing years apart in same spot
It was a mystery that left detectives baffled after a 33-year-old doctor vanished without a trace while walking in Eryri National in August 2012 Shayne Colaco, 33, from Stoke-on-Trent, had been hiking in the Carneddau range in north Wales when he did not return to his car. He was not seen the time, the experienced hiker's disappearance sparked an extensive operation by air and on foot, with the search described by experts as a "needle in a haystack" in the Ogwen was not until 12 years later that a vital clue led to the discovery of Mr Colaco's body in May 2024, only metres away from fellow hiker David Brookfield who had disappeared months before the discovery and died while walking in the same area. Mr Brookfield, 65, from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, had been walking alone on 9 January 2024 when he went Wales Police said Mr Brookfield had sent a text to his wife from the top of Carnedd Llewelyn, but no further contact was ever received. The experienced walker had intended to complete an "amazing" 15km (nine mile) route in good weather, police said, but with forecasts that it would deteriorate throughout the is believed he entered the broad mouth of a gully during his descent from his final summit at Pen yr Ole Wen when he fell and became seriously "extensive searches in challenging winter weather conditions", Mr Brookfield could not be found."The weather worsened, snow continued to fall... after the first couple of weeks we realised there wasn't any more we could do from the ground," said Sgt Paul Terry, of North Wales Police. Four months after his disappearance, coastguard helicopter crews discovered Mr Brookfield's body after seeing a glimpse of blue while carrying out a routine training exercise through the Ogwen was during his recovery that volunteers also located a single item of clothing that led them to find the remains of Mr Colaco. Sgt Terry, who assisted the rescue of the two bodies, said the circumstances were "exceptional" as many of the volunteers working on the rescue were involved in the initial search for Mr Colaco 12 years of the winchmen who located Mr Brookfield from the helicopter was also part of RAF squadron looking for Mr Colaco."It shows the amazing willingness and determination of volunteers and the emergency services to find both these men."Sgt Terry said it was while investigating Mr Brookfield's death that a mountain rescue team member found a jacket about 5m (16ft) further down the gully. "The jacket didn't seem to fit with the picture of what we were investigating. It was an older jacket, one that seemed to have been there for some time and inside the pocket was a car key," he said. "Deep in the memory of this rescue team was Shayne Colaco, who had gone missing in the same area 12 years earlier."Sgt Terry said he was "amazed" to find the jacket was very similar to the one Mr Colaco was wearing on the day he went missing. Further investigations then confirmed the key in the pocket was the key to his car, a Fiat Seicento."Suddenly, we realised we may have a clue as to where he may have been all this time." A mountain rescue drone operator then helped find Mr Colaco's body. It is now believed his descent from the summit of Pen yr Ole Wen took the same fatal turn as Mr Brookfield's. Sharing the tragic story, Sgt Terry voiced his condolences to the men's families and friends, as well as warning of the dangers of walking in Eryri, also known as Snowdonia. He said both men ended up in very dangerous ground, "which might have seemed inviting from the summit, but as it got steeper and more broken, it became harder"."It's important to understand the scale of these hills and the impact of weather – and how quickly it can change," he said. "We want you to come and enjoy these beautiful mountains in Eryri, it is amazing, but come and be safe and enjoy it."And so, I have a very simple safety message - be prepared."
CTV News
18 hours ago
- Sport
- CTV News
She won a 100K ultramarathon through the mountains
When Stephanie Case entered a 100-kilometre (around 62 miles) ultrarunning race through the Welsh mountains, winning was far from her mind. Six months postpartum and still breastfeeding her infant daughter Pepper, Case's only real aim was to finish the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB in North Wales' Eryri National Park and make sure her daughter was fed, having received special permission from race organizers to stop at an additional point to do so. In fact, it wasn't until the end of the grueling race that Case – whose three-year hiatus from running meant that she set off in the third wave, far behind the elite runners – was informed that her finish time made her the winner of the women's competition. This, in spite of the fact that she had stopped to feed Pepper three times during the run, which was included in her total race time. 'That was a huge shock. I wasn't expecting that. It wasn't even on my radar that that could have happened,' Case told CNN Sports. Pictures of her taking part in the race in May have since gone viral, and the response has been overwhelming, according to the ultra runner. 'It wasn't something I kind of strategized or planned ahead of time, but what it tells me is that we really aren't telling enough stories about new moms kind of doing all sorts of things, living full and complete, multi dimensional lives.' Mixed reactions to success Case said she thinks the photos show that 'life doesn't stop when you become a mom, and it's just another layer to who you are as a person. Stephanie Case Stephanie Case stopped three times during the race to breastfeed her infant daughter. (Courtesy Rich Gill/Gilly Photography via CNN Newsource) 'We all have mom guilt, but it's important for new moms to know that it's okay to prioritize the things that make them full and complete human beings because that will make them better parents in the long run – because we are multi dimensional. She added to CNN: 'Becoming a mom, it's one of the most physical and emotional transformations you can go through in your entire life. And so if there are things that you can hold on to – for me, it's running – that kind of remind you that everything that has changed, there are some things that remain constant, there are some parts of your identity that you haven't lost.' Case, who turns 43 this month, started ultrarunning almost 18 years ago when, after finishing her first marathon, she was looking for another challenge. She got pretty good at it too, racing across North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia and Africa. But Case, an international human rights lawyer by day, took a three-year hiatus from the sport after suffering several miscarriages as she and her partner tried to have a child. 'I got some questions from people around whether it was the running that caused the miscarriage. And of course, there's no medical evidence, there's no science to back that up, but it did plant the seed of doubt in my head, and really changed my relationship with running,' she told CNN Sports. 'Running, instead of it being a source of stress relief and a source of joy for me, it turned into something quite different,' she explained. After Pepper's birth and getting the all clear from her doctor, Case started running again six weeks postpartum. 'It felt physically weird, strange. I thought my organs were going to fall out, but at the same time, I felt like a runner again. I felt like me again,' she explained. Starting so far back in the Ultra Trail Snowdonia, she said, was 'perhaps a blessing in disguise because it really took the pressure off. Starting the third wave kind of solidified to me that I couldn't have any performance goals because I was starting so far back.' Although the race already had stopping checkpoints at 20 km and 80 km, Case knew she would need to feed Pepper in between, so she requested and got permission to get assistance at the 50 km checkpoint. 'It meant that my partner, John, could only hand me Pepper. He couldn't help me with any of my bottles, with my pack, with anything else I needed to do with food for myself. 'I had to manage everything myself and also make sure that Pepper was taken care of. So it was a whole other layer of logistics that I had never experienced before. Pepper is used to kind of feeding mid-training runs, but we've never done it in a race situation,' she explained. 'It should be about choice' While Case has received many positive responses to her win, she has also received numerous 'misogynistic, paternalistic' comments. '(They were) saying: 'Does she spend any time with her baby? She should be at home. Why didn't she wait?' Comments about my looks or my age, really just trying to criticize anything that they saw me doing,' Case said. Other messages, she explained, came from moms 'who were quite worried that this image and this story was contributing to this idea of setting this impossibly high standard that women can't reach.' 'Some moms are exhausted and they're just trying to get through the day,' Case said. 'And so the idea that they not only have to be mom, but they also have to have a career, and they have to regain their fitness and now running ultra marathons and breastfeed just made them feel really bad about themselves, and I think that that's part of the patriarchal society that we live in, that we're taught to compete with one another. 'Everything we do as new moms, it becomes scrutinized and judged, and we just need the space to be able to navigate that journey on our own, to figure out what motherhood looks like for each of us, individually,' she added. 'For me, it means running 100k and, you know, doing all the things that make me happy and for others, it could be running a 5k or, you know, joining a book club, or, you know, something totally different.' Next up for Case is the Hardrock 100, a 100-mile run with 33,197 feet of climb and 33,197 feet of descent in Colorado in July. 'It should be about choice. I mean, that's the whole point. Women can do all of this if they want, if they have the support, if XYZ, fall into place. If the stars align, if they choose to go after that, then they should be provided the support and the encouragement and the resources to be able to pursue all the things that they want – but they don't have to.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Sisters drowned in pools in Eryri National Park, inquest told
Two sisters drowned in Eryri National Park after travelling to the area with friends from university, an inquest has heard. Hajra Zahid, 29, and Haleema Zahid, 25, were pulled from pools on the Watkin Path – which leads to the summit of Yr Wyddfa, or Snowdon – in North Wales on Wednesday June 11. Inquests into the deaths of the women, who were both born in Pakistan but lived in Maltsby, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, were opened on Wednesday. Assistant coroner for north-west Wales Sarah Riley said: 'Hajra and Haleema had travelled to the Nant Gwynant area with friends from university. 'They have entered the water and sadly both died as a result of drowning.' The University of Chester students were identified by a friend, the inquest heard. Ms Riley added: 'Investigations continue in terms of how they came by their death and the inquest is therefore adjourned to allow for completion of those investigations. 'I offer my sincere condolences to their family, friends and all who knew and loved them.' The hearing, held at the Dafydd Orwig Chamber in Caernarfon, was told both women were pronounced dead shortly before 11pm on June 11. Last week, a spokesman for North Wales Police said officers were called to Nant Gwynant, Gwynedd, at about 9.30pm after a report that one woman had been pulled from the water and another was said to be in the pools. The second woman was pulled from the water but was pronounced dead at the scene. A Llanberis mountain rescue team was sent to the area along with an air ambulance and a coastguard helicopter. Vice-chancellor of the University of Chester, Professor Eunice Simmons said: 'The University of Chester community is in mourning for the tragic loss of Haleema Zahid and Hajra Zahid and our heartfelt sympathies are with their families and friends during this incredibly difficult time. 'Haleema and Hajra had joined Chester Business School earlier this year on the Master's in International Business course. 'They touched the lives of many here at Chester – their friends, the cohort on their course and the staff who taught them – and they will be deeply missed.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Sisters drowned in pools in Eryri National Park, inquest told
Two sisters drowned in Eryri National Park after travelling to the area with friends from university, an inquest has heard. Hajra Zahid, 29, and Haleema Zahid, 25, were pulled from pools on the Watkin Path – which leads to the summit of Yr Wyddfa, or Snowdon – in North Wales on Wednesday June 11. Inquests into the deaths of the women, who were both born in Pakistan but lived in Maltsby, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, were opened on Wednesday. Assistant coroner for north-west Wales Sarah Riley said: 'Hajra and Haleema had travelled to the Nant Gwynant area with friends from university. 'They have entered the water and sadly both died as a result of drowning.' The University of Chester students were identified by a friend, the inquest heard. Ms Riley added: 'Investigations continue in terms of how they came by their death and the inquest is therefore adjourned to allow for completion of those investigations. 'I offer my sincere condolences to their family, friends and all who knew and loved them.' The hearing, held at the Dafydd Orwig Chamber in Caernarfon, was told both women were pronounced dead shortly before 11pm on June 11. Last week, a spokesman for North Wales Police said officers were called to Nant Gwynant, Gwynedd, at about 9.30pm after a report that one woman had been pulled from the water and another was said to be in the pools. The second woman was pulled from the water but was pronounced dead at the scene. A Llanberis mountain rescue team was sent to the area along with an air ambulance and a coastguard helicopter. Vice-chancellor of the University of Chester, Professor Eunice Simmons said: 'The University of Chester community is in mourning for the tragic loss of Haleema Zahid and Hajra Zahid and our heartfelt sympathies are with their families and friends during this incredibly difficult time. 'Haleema and Hajra had joined Chester Business School earlier this year on the Master's in International Business course. 'They touched the lives of many here at Chester – their friends, the cohort on their course and the staff who taught them – and they will be deeply missed.'
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Two women who died after being pulled from Eryri pools named
Two women who died after being pulled from water in Eryri National Park, also known as Snowdonia, have been named. Hajra Zahid, 29, and Haleema Zahid, 25, were pulled from pools on the Watkin Path – which leads to the summit of Yr Wyddfa, or Snowdon – on Wednesday June 11. Inquests into their deaths are due to be opened on Wednesday by the coroner for north west Wales. Last week, a spokesman for North Wales Police said officers were called to Nant Gwynant, Gwynedd, at about 9.30pm after a report that one woman had been pulled from the water and another was said to be in the pools. The second woman was pulled from the water but was pronounced dead at the scene. A Llanberis mountain rescue team was sent to the area along with an air ambulance and a coastguard helicopter. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Gibson, of North Wales Police, said: 'Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the families and friends of both women. 'An investigation to establish what happened is now under way.' He appealed for anyone walking in or around the Watkin Path area between 6pm and 9pm on June 11 to contact police. Chairman of Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team, Jurgen Dissmann, said: 'On behalf of Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team, I extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the two women who sadly lost their lives. 'This was a complex and difficult callout for the team and we would like to thank our emergency service colleagues and Aberglaslyn Mountain Rescue Team for their continued support and assistance during this callout.'
