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Sunday, 3 June 2007, 14:17 GMT 15:17 UK

Mountain fall runner identified

Accident area A soldier who fell to his death in a gruelling mountain race in Snowdonia has been named.

Sgt Paul Upton, a 37-year-old divorced father-of-two, is believed to have lost his way in low cloud.

He was competing in the Welsh One Thousand Metre Peak Race when he fell 150 metres (500 feet) on Saturday.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed Sgt Upton, who was from Middlewich in Cheshire, was serving with the 1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

He was running in a four-strong team when he fell.

Rescuers said it was believed he may have suffered a heart attack after falling hundreds of feet.

Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation said the fall happened on Carnedd Llewelyn, just above the Ffynnon Llugwy Reservoir.

An air ambulance and a rescue helicopter were launched.

Rescue team spokesman, Chris Lloyd, said the alert was raised shortly before 1100 GMT.

'Very big change'

He added that neither ambulance staff nor the air ambulance could reach the man because he was on steep ground.

Carnedd Llewelyn has a summit at 1,062m (3,484 ft) and is Wales' third highest peak.

The rescue helicopter from RAF Valley lowered its winchman to the scene, who attempted to use a defibrillator.

Sgt Upton, who was divorced with two children, was flown to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, where he was pronounced dead.

Mr Lloyd said the mountain weather forecast did not include predictions of low cloud.

Race organisers

He said: "There was a very big change. They would have started in a beautiful sunny, clear, blue sky but would rapidly have climbed up into heavy cloud and would have relied on good navigation to find their way.

"It's very sad to see a fellow mountain enthusiast coming to such a sad end."

North Wales Police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances.

They said they were working with the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team and the race organisers to establish a full explanation of the circumstances of Sgt Upton's death.

A report will be put together and sent to the coroner.



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Related to this story:
Man dies after mountain race fall (02 Jun 07 |  North West Wales )

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Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team
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