A 'VERY well-regarded' walker died from a head injury sustained by falling while walking alone on Scafell Pike, an inquest heard.

The body of Richard Lucas, a 60-year-old dad of two, was found near Skew Gill on the morning of May 10 2024 on the north face of England's highest mountain after a huge manhunt carried out by search and rescue teams.

Mr Lucas, a retired IT consultant and 'very fit man', had left his home in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, on May 8 on a planned trip to ascend Scafell Pike and return home after.

A statement submitted to Cockermouth Coroners' Court by Diane Lucas, his wife of 36 years, said Mr Lucas had been a keen walker and sportsman for his entire life.

She said that on May 8 she received a text message from her husband at 11.30am saying that he had set off up the mountain and would be 'six hours-ish'.

Mrs Lucas said he had regularly walked on his own but she was 'not totally happy with this as he was getting older'.

He would reply: "I could just as easily have an accident crossing the road", she said.

She became worried when several text messages from her went unanswered as he usually sent her pictures from his expeditions.

After his expected return time of around 9pm, Mrs Lucas became worried as she still had not heard from her husband and reported him as missing to the police.

Police launched a public appeal for information and mountain rescue team volunteers began searches early on May 9.

A statement submitted by one of the volunteers from Keswick Mountain Rescue Team who found Mr Lucas said he received a call at around 7.15am on May 10.

He said along with other team members they made their way up the north face of Scafell Pike toward Broad Crag, 'scanning the fells'.

On passing Styhead Tarn at around 10am, they noticed something 'out of keeping' with the environment at Near Skew Gill.

Two members went to investigate and discovered the body of Mr Lucas.

On investigation of the area, they found evidence Mr Lucas had fallen from at least 15-20 metres higher.

A doctor among the search team on the nearby slopes of Great Gable was called and officially pronounced Mr Lucas dead at 11.10am.

Mr Lucas had studied chemistry at Corpus Christi College at Oxford University, and worked for IBM and AT and T systems as an IT team leader until his retirement in 2019.

Mrs Lucas said he was 'always a healthy man' with his only minor condition of high blood pressure being 'well-managed' with medication.

She said that Mr Lucas enjoyed table tennis, cycling, swimming, golf, badminton and going to the gym.

Assistant Coroner for Cumbria Margaret Taylor heard around 300 people attended Mr Lucas' funeral.

She said: "Even though he died at a very young age, he lived a very full life.

"He was someone who had so much more to give, and I sincerely hope that his five years of retirement he put to good use."

She said he was 'clearly missed and very well regarded'.

Ms Taylor accepted the cause of death as a head injury sustained from a fall.