Man killed in horror Peak District fall as 10-hour mission launched to find body

A man has died following a fall while walking in the Peak District with emergency services rushing to a well-known spot for hikers.

Mountain rescue teams went to Kinder Scout, the highest point in the Dark Peak on June 30 following reports that a walker had fallen from the top of a waterfall. Emergency crews attended the scene and found the man, whose age was not confirmed, had not survived the fall. Mountain rescue specialists helped to retrieve the body from the base of the Downfall, which is the largest waterfall in the Peak District, with a Coastguard helicopter also drafted into help along with a drone team from Buxton and Glossop Mountain Rescue.

The Kinder Mountain Rescue Team said the conditions were 'too challenging' to winch the man from the base of the Downfall, and so used a stretcher to hoist the body, to then be collected by the helicopter on scene, which took ten hours.

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A total of 31 team members attended the incident, along with officers from Derbyshire Police and paramedics, Manchester Evening News reports.

"When the helicopter arrived, conditions proved to be too challenging to winch directly from the base of the Downfall. So the team performed a difficult stretcher carry to a lower location where he could be collected by the helicopter and flown to our vehicles," a statement said.

"This was a challenging ten hour incident for all involved. We would like to thank the group of walkers who called in the incident for their assistance. The team would like to pass on our sincere condolences to the walker’s family."

An information website about the Peak District tells how the location is popular with walkers and climbers. "Found in the High Peak region, Kinder Downfall is the tallest waterfall in the Peak District National Park," state peakdistrict.org.

"As you may have guessed, the waterfall is situated on Kinder Scout, a lovely stretch of moorland plateau and a popular spot for walkers and climbers.

"It gets its name from the River Kinder, which runs down into the reservoir." It adds: "Nearby you also have the 2000ft peak of Kinder Scout, the highest point in the Peaks, as well as Mermaid’s Pool and Kinder Reservoir."

It comes after an adventurous young woman died when she fell 60ft down a notorious mountain peak while climbing with friends in February. Civil engineer Maria Eftimova, 28, was climbing in Snowdonia when the accident happened- and she was the second professional woman killed in a climbing accident in a week.

The tragedy on February 22 was just six days after Dr Charlotte Crook, 30, also died while climbing in the same region. Thrill-seeking Maria - who had more than 10,000 followers on social media - was an experienced mountaineer and had recently completed an ice-climbing course in Norway.

But she tragically fell while scaling the 3011ft (918m) mountain's notorious Tryfan north ridge - a popular but dangerous scrambling route.