Climber dies after mountain fall (From Maldon and Burnham Standard)

Climber dies after mountain fall

5:16pm Sunday 27th January 2013 in News

A CLIMBER has fallen to his death while attempting to scale Britain’s tallest mountain.

Ben St Joseph, 22, of Mell Road, Tollesbury, was on Ben Nevis, in the Scottish Highlands, on Saturday morning when fellow climbers saw him fall a distance of 100 metres.

A mountain rescue unit and a navy helicopter were sent to find Mr St Joseph, but he had sustained fatal injuries.

The fall was reported to Northern Constabulary police shortly after 11am.

Mr St Joseph was believed to have been climbing alone when he fell from Tower Ridge – he was about 2,800 feet up the mountain, which is 4,409 feet tall in total.

A spokesman for the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team (LMRT) said: “The team were asked to assist a climber seen to have fallen from Tower by fellow climbers.

“Despite the best efforts of R177, the LMRT members and the Belford hospital the climber was later pronounced deceased.”

A Northern Constabulary spokesman said: “A male climber fell from Tower Ridge into Tower Gully, Ben Nevis.

“LMRT were contacted and with the assistance of Royal Navy Search and Rescue the male was rescued from Tower Gully, however, he had sustained fatal injuries.

“He is believed to have fallen a distance of about 100 metres.”

An investigation into Mr St Joseph’s death has been launched, and a report is being prepared for the procurator fiscal, who investigates sudden deaths in Scotland.