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Chris Smith

Inquest attributes Team GB Smith’s death in the hills to hypothermia

'None of us are a match for the possible effects of nature,' says coroner

The coroner investigating why Team GB runner Chris Smith came to die in the Perthshire hills in October has attributed his death to hypothermia.

Smith, an experienced international mountain runner, failed to return to his family after setting out for a run in Glen Lyon just before 3pm on 27 October. The 43-year-old’s body was found two days later, lying in the heather, at 230m and far off his planned course.

The untimely death of such a meticulously prepared and experienced runner – he carried a phone and OS map with him on his last run, as well as advised his family of his plans – should serve as a reminder to us all of how quickly things can go wrong in the hills. 

His wife Lindsay told the inquest: “He hadn’t taken the route lightly and had fully researched it. I felt he was fully prepared.”

The inquest in West Sussex, where the Aberdonian runner lived, was also told that weather conditions deteriorated during his run, with driving rain, poor visibility and a wind chill factor of -11. 

Those poor conditions, as well as the effects of hypothermia, may both have contributed to the disorientation that led him so far off his intended route. The inquest was told that Smith took off his gloves, hat, jacket and watch and laid them down beside him, actions typical of the hypothermic. 

The Assistant Coroner for West Sussex, Robert Simpson, concluded that Smith’s death was an accident, caused by adverse weather conditions. The post-mortem examination confirmed the cause of death as hypothermia.

Simpson said: “[Smith] was adequately equipped for what he wanted to do that day. The weather on the night was quite frankly horrendous in the mountains.

“None of us are a match for the possible effects of nature.”

After the inquest, the Smith family released a statement, saying: “Whilst we may never know exactly what happened to Chris, it is clear he was doing everything he could to run back to his family. Chris will always be remembered as a fantastic dad, husband, son, brother and uncle: a beacon of energy and love, and an example of a life so very well lived.”

The Chris Smith Memorial Fund, set up by the family after his death, has now raised nearly £18,000.

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