Eryri hiker shouted 'No, no, no, no' as he saw friend freefall in Tryfan tragedy
A hiker slipped and fell off a treacherous Eryri mountain, an inquest heard today. The final moments of Maria Eftimova's life were recounted by witnesses at the hearing into her death on Tryfan.
One told how the 28-year-old fell off the rockface and flew over him to a ledge below and he "froze". Another said she was "in freefall." It is understood she fell some 65 feet and died from severe head injuries.
Kate Robertson, senior coroner for north west Wales, concluded at a Caernarfon hearing that the death of Ms Eftimova, who was a civil engineer, on February 22 this year was accidental. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here
The inquest heard Ms Eftimova, who was born in Sofia in Bulgaria, was a British citizen. She had graduated from the University of Salford and lived in St Helens.
Fellow hiker Harry Jones said in a statement he joined a group of 20 fellow enthusiasts and they set off up Tryfan at 9am that day. During the hike they split up, with Mr Jones, Maria among seven of the hikers taking a harder route to the summit. The rest took an easier route.
He said: "We travelled in single file, moving from ledge to ledge, once the person in front had vacated it." A hiker called Neil Oakes was ahead, then Maria, then Mr Jones at the back.
"I could see on one particular ledge Maria stopped in order to get a handhold. to pull herself up. I was six ft below her, to the left.
"She swung her right leg up to pull herself up. I asked 'Got it well?' and she said 'I think so." But then Mr Jones said he saw her "flying over me" and down the mountain side.
Mr Jones said he "completely froze". Other hikers came down, lowered Ms Eftimova to a safer ledge and called 999, the inquest heard.
One gave CPR until Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team members arrived and later a helicopter. She was taken to OVMRT base but could not be saved.
'I was in shock'
Another hiker Neil Oakes said in a statement he was in the small group on the Grade 2 route. He was ahead of Ms Eftimova.
He said: "I turned and saw Ms Eftimova tumbling through the air below me. She was already in freefall. I knew there was going to be an impact on the rocky outcrop below so I turned away for a split second. I was shouting 'No, no, no, no.'
"When I turned back she was on the ledge below. I knew that it was serious. (Another hiker above) said 'What?" and I said 'She's gone. She's fallen'. I was in shock," said Mr Oakes.
Dr Muhammad Zain Mehdi, a consultant histopathologist, carried out a post mortem examination at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan.
He found Ms Eftimova sustained severe head injuries. There was external damage to the brain including the brain stem that caused death, he said in a report.
He found she died from a laceration to the brain, due to a fractured skull due to a fall. The coroner Ms Robertson concluded the death was accidental.
She said: "It seems that Maria was scrambling with others when she has unintentionally and unexpectedly fallen and during the course of that fall she has sustained the injuries which have sadly led to her death."
Ms Robertson passed on her sincere condolences to her family, who were on a link and had a Bulgarian interpreter, and friends for the death of Ms Eftimova whom she described as "bright and conscientious".
Earlier the inquest heard the hiker had been a civil engineer for the Costain group. Her father Rosen Eftimov (corr) said she had "snowboarded intensely", and been a surfer and marathon runner.
'Ambitious, bright cherished'
In her younger years his daughter trained in intensive swimming and won awards and distinctions. In January this year she took a glacier climbing course in Norway and she also practised pole dancing, he added.
After her death, loving tributes were paid online to an "ambitious, bright and cherished" woman. A JustGiving fundraiser was launched to raise £15,000 to help bring her back home to her family in Bulgaria. It has raised £19,389 so far.
In a post on the fundraising site, organiser Victoria Critchley said: "Maria was an ambitious, bright and cherished 28-year-old, whose vibrant personality, energy and aura touched and uplifted all around her. She had a passion for engineering, having studied civil engineering at the University of Salford and a love for extreme sports.
"Her biggest passion being snowboarding, which she was super excited for and looking forward to doing again on her upcoming trip to Austria. She had an insatiable thirst for life and exploring our world's beauty. Tragically, she was taken from her family far far far too soon!"
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