A romantic hike turned deadly after Hannah Lowe, 29, lost her footing and plunged 60ft to her death.
On Easter Monday this year, the keen hiker had been on a trip in the Peak District in the UK with her boyfriend Adam Stanaway – who was turning 30 the next day – and her mum and sister.
The group trekked three hours to the top of Kinder Scout and shared a picnic at the top. Hannah and Adam then decided to have some moments alone and walked to the top of Kinder Downfall waterfall.
The pair, who shared a joint love of hiking and climbing, were buying their first house together and were discussing their exciting future.
But as they were getting up to leave the waterfall, Hannah tripped and plunged over the edge.
Adam described the awful moment he realised his girlfriend was falling in a statement read at the coronial inquest into Hannah’s death.
‘Hannah turned around and lost her footing on the rocks. I reached around to grab her bag but I couldn’t grab it in time and she fell.
‘I looked, but I could not see her because my eyes are not that good.
‘I shouted for Hannah’s mother and she came over. We tried to get down but had to go back up.’
Hannah’s body was located at the bottom of the waterfall 30 minutes later.
It was found Hannah died from catastrophic head injuries and there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding her death.
Posting to Instagram after her death, Adam described Hannah as his soul mate.
‘Today I lost my soul mate, my partner in crime, my absolute rock,’ he wrote. ‘Words cant begin to explain the pain I’m feeling right now but I’m honoured to have shared what time we had, I will spend the rest of my life making you proud and making myself a better person, you lifted me up and made me what i am in dark times and in happy times i will love you forever sleep tight my darling until I see you again.’
Finding Hannah’s death was accidental, Derbyshire Assistant Coroner Emma Serrano said: ‘I take note of the many wonderful things that have been said about Hannah.
‘To say that she was much loved is an understatement.’