- Tourist, 52, slipped in wet conditions in front of wife and two children
- Snow in Scotland as Met issues early weather warnings for next week
- Flood warnings continue with more persistent and heavy rain expected
PUBLISHED: 20:29 EST, 5 May 2012 | UPDATED: 17:29 EST, 6 May 2012
A holidaymaker plunged 50 metres to his death in a horrific cliff fall in front of his wife and two children.
The 52-year-old man was walking on a cliff path in West Cornwall when he is thought to have slipped on ground left muddy by recent heavy rain.
A sea and air rescue was launched after his family raised the alarm but he was declared dead after his body was recovered from rocks at the base of the cliff.
Tragedy: The 52-year-old holiday maker fell 160ft, whilst walking with his wife. and two children on a clifftop path near Mullion in West Cornwall
The tragedy comes as Britain faces a Bank Holiday washout with yet more severe conditions and wet weather expected later in the week.
The Met office issued early weather warnings for next week with persistent heavy rain expected to spread across the country during Wednesday evening and the early hours of Thursday.
The lowest temperature recorded overnight on Friday was in south-west Scotland, where it plummeted to -6C (21.2F).
Yesterday, Scotland experienced snow, while the skies over southern England were grey with patchy rain. Further north, sunny intervals were interspersed with showers.
Snow in May: A car travels through appalling weather along the Inverness-Ullapool Road in Scotland
Forecast: The dismal weather follows weeks of heavy rain which has caused flooding in many areas.
Temperatures in north-east England peaked at about 6C (42.8F), while in Cornwall, the mercury struggled to climb above 11C (51.8F).
‘It’s been pretty cold,’ said forecaster Nick Prebble of MeteoGroup yesterday.
‘We’ve seen flurries of snow over the Grampians and north-west Highlands, and there’s been sleet there, too. There have also been a few light sleet showers in northern England.’
More snow flurries are forecast today over high ground in Scotland.
The unsettled weather is due to continue tomorrow, with a band of heavy rain edging north-east across most parts of the country.
‘It’s looking like most places will see a wet and breezy day,’ Mr Prebble.
The tragedy in Cornwall happened early on Friday morning as the visitor from Basingstoke, Hampshire, was walking at the Cornish beauty spot.
A police spokesman said: ‘A 52 year old male from the Basingstoke area was airlifted from the bottom of cliffs at Mullion around 7.45pm on Friday 4 May.
Snow in spring: The lowest temperature recorded overnight on Friday was in Scotland, where it plummeted to -6C
A hillwalker strolls though the snow-covered heather at Braemore near Inverness today
‘The male was pronounced deceased at hospital. It is believed that the male had been walking with his wife and two young children along the cliff path prior to being found.
Police are treating the man’s death as accidental. The coroner has been informed.
Falmouth Coastguards have warned other visitors to be very careful on muddy paths near unprotected cliffs.
A spokesman said: ‘People who walk along paths should be aware that we have had a lot of wet weather and the ground may be slippery.’
The dismal weather follows weeks of heavy rain which has caused flooding in many areas.
Downpour: A woman walks in the rain past colourful Azalea flowers in Exbury Gardens in the New Forest
Purple haze: A stunning bloom of British bluebells at Enys Garden in Cornwall
Four flood warnings remain in place and the Environment Agency said that while water levels were receding, officials were continuing to monitor the situation.
Yesterday, roads remained fairly clear, with many people opting to stay at home.
The Highways Agency said: ‘The roads haven’t been overly congested, performing well despite the weather.’
