Amateur climber, 23, fell 600ft to his death in Snowdonia
Amateur climber, 23, fell 600ft to his death in Snowdonia in front of horrified friends when the rock he was hanging from broke off
- Jack Carne’s handhold suddenly broke and sent him plunging 600ft to his death
- The 23-year-old was on a hike with his best friends in Snowdonia on Saturday
- Friends described him as ‘everyone’s friend’ who always ‘had a cheeky smile’ on
This is the first picture of a ‘talented’ amateur climber killed in Snowdonia when the rock he was hanging from broke off and sent him plunging 600ft to his death.
Jack Carne, 23, was just 30 feet from the Gribin Ridge summit when his handhold suddenly gave way on a hike with best friends Mattie Belcher, 24, and Brandan Smith, 23, on Saturday.
The mountaineering trio, all from Barnsley, were tackling the Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach peaks ahead of a dream hike up Mount Kilimanjaro later this year.
Search and rescue teams believe Jack’s fall down the sheer rockface hilled him ‘almost instantly’.
‘It doesn’t feel real’, Mr Belcher told the Mail. ‘We were so close to the top. Jack went to grab a handhold and it just broke away.
Jack Carne, 23, (pictured) was just 30 feet from the Gribin Ridge summit when his handhold suddenly gave way
Mr Carne was tackling the Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach peaks with his best friends ahead of a dream hike up Mount Kilimanjaro later this year
Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation were called to the scene in Snowdonia on Saturday
‘I’ll never forget how quiet he was when he fell. When Jack fell there was no noise. He didn’t shout or scream or anything. He just fell. One second he was there, the next he wasn’t.
‘We shouted to him and tried to get down, but he was unresponsive and going after him was too dangerous – it was a near-vertical drop and the conditions were getting worse.
‘Thankfully we had phone signal and were able to call search and rescue within 20 seconds.
‘When we spoke to the paramedics they said if it was any consolation, he would have died instantly.
‘The three of us went hiking and camping most weekends. This week we were planning to book a trip to the Alps, and we were going to climb Kilimanjaro together later this year.
‘I’ve known him for most of my life, he’s like a brother to me. He was the nicest bloke you could hope to meet. I just can’t believe he’s gone.’
Mr Smith added: ‘He was one of my best mates. He’s like family. He always had a cheeky smile on his face, he was everyone’s friend. Every two weeks we’d go climbing or something.
‘It still doesn’t feel real. When I saw him fall I felt numb. I think I knew deep down that he was gone, but I tried to keep some hope until they found his body.’
Search and rescue teams believe Jack’s fall down the sheer rockface hilled him ‘almost instantly’.
Mr Carne was described as being ‘everyone’s friend’ and that he ‘always had a cheeky smile on his face’
A spokesman for the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team said: ‘Three young men were ascending the Gribin ridge when a handhold broke away causing one to fall a considerable distance.
‘Sadly, he did not survive his injuries, the recovery continued through to Sunday lunchtime with the help of the Coastguard rescue helicopter. The thoughts of all team members are with the casualties family and friends.’
Jack’s friends have set up a GoFundMe page to pay for his funeral. You can donate here.
Source: Read Full Article