Bodies of two national park visitors found after they plummeted from Welsh waterfall
The bodies of two women have been found after reports of swimmers plummeting into a waterfall in Wales, police say.
A search began for the two visitors on Jan. 4 after a hiker reported two people in Ystradfelle Falls, part of the Welsh national park Brecon Beacons. Local officials, mountain rescue and National Police Air support were called in to help with the search.
The body of the first woman was found within 24 hours, according to officials, before the search was temporarily called off due to “high, fast-flowing water.”
The area has seen heavy rainfall leading to challenging river conditions, including flood warnings for a large portion of Wales, according to The Met Office, the UK’s national weather service.
Police said in a statement that they could “confirm the body of a woman was recovered from the river(Jan. 5),” and that they believed the second woman was still in the water.
Brecan Beacons National Park Authority said in a release that it was “deeply saddened to learn of the accident that happened in Waterfall Country,” and that the first woman was “recovered from the gorge (Jan. 5).”
A statement from Dyed-Powys Police on Jan. 9 confirmed that a second body had been found in Spring Valley Lakes in Glynneath, south of the falls, and that the families of the women had been contacted, but their names were not publicly released.
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, which assisted in the search, released a water safety warning on Jan. 9.
“The popularity of outdoor water-related activities, such as open water swimming and stand-up paddleboarding, has grown in recent years,” the warning said. “However, the Service urges people to avoid taking part in such activities following recent spells of heavy rainfall and during a weather warning.”
This story was originally published January 10, 2023 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Bodies of two national park visitors found after they plummeted from Welsh waterfall."
