Snowdonia: Police and dive teams scramble to establish time and cause of teenagers’ death
Police investigating the deaths of four teenagers, who were killed in a car crash on a camping trip to Snowdonia[1], are scrambling to establish the exact time and cause of the incident as underwater divers scour the scene. The investigation into the deaths[2] of Harvey Owen, 17, Wilf Fitchett, 17, Jevon Hirst, 16 and Hugo Morris, 18, continued in North Wales on Wednesday in what their parents described as “living in a nightmare”. The close-knit group had been planning a camping trip in Snowdonia National Park last Sunday, and were due to return home on Monday morning.
Their silver Ford Fiesta was discovered “upside down and partially submerged” on Tuesday after a widespread search. Detectives are now trying to establish the time and cause of the fatal collision.
Never reached the campsite
The teenagers, who were last seen at midday on Sunday, are thought to have been travelling north on the A4085 near the village of Garreg when they crashed. The direction they were heading suggests they crashed while driving away from Harlech, where they stayed with one of their grandparents on Saturday night, and towards the mountains of Eryri National Park.
If confirmed, it would mean the boys, all from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, never made it to their proposed campsite. The farmer who owns the land where the boys were ultimately found, said he wished he “heard something and could have helped”. Rhys Williams said that the car had been spotted by the passenger of a recycling truck who was driving past.
When police came to investigate, he saw the vehicle, adding: “I saw [the car] in the ditch. It was upside down, very close to the road.” Underwater search teams were seen at the scene of the collision on Wednesday afternoon as North Wales Police continued to scour the area.
Supt Owain Llewellyn, said that officers were carrying out a “detailed search” to recover “all related property”. He added: “Our thoughts remain with the families at this extremely difficult time and I would like to thank the public for their continued patience and understanding.”
‘Nothing will make this nightmare go away’
Crystal Owen, the mother of Harvey[3], said she was “living in a nightmare” following the discovery of her son’s body on Tuesday morning. Ms Owen had previously said that she had not known her son was going on a camping trip, and if she had she “wouldn’t have let him due to the weather conditions”.
Writing on Facebook, she said: “I just wanted to say I do appreciate people’s kindness but no amount of messages is going to help me overcome this. “Nothing will make this nightmare go away.” On Wednesday it emerged that a shopkeeper in the Premier Foods shop in Harlech, had seen the boys shortly before they headed to the mountains.
She said they were “happy, laughing and joking around.” She added “They were arguing, saying ‘I can’t afford this, I can’t afford that’. But they all seemed to be in a really good mood.”
The 25-year-old said that the group weren’t dressed to go walking in jeans, shirts and trainers. “You wouldn’t have thought they were going to walk a mountain if you’d seen them.” The local vicar, councillor and around 20 residents gathered for a minute’s silence in Garreg, the nearest village to where the teenagers were found.
A small candle was placed on a road bridge over a river near the crash site, in a local tribute left overnight.
A candle on the road bridge near the river where the boys were foundCredit: ROB FORMSTONE/[email protected]
Flowers and written tributes were laid by a local monument, as well as photographs of each of the four boys, before Rev Roland Barnes led the gathering in prayers. Speaking to reporters after the service, Rev Barnes said that the community was feeling “shock and sadness”. He added: “These were four young people full of life and a sense of adventure who came on a trip to Wales.
“We want to encourage young people to do that, but it has ended so tragically. The weather can be awful. The roads are so windy and narrow, but that’s all part of the adventure.”
Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, paid tributes in the Commons to the boys ahead of Prime Minister’s Questions.
“I know the thoughts of the whole House will be with the family and friends of the four teenagers who died in a car accident in north Wales.”
Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, echoed the sentiment, adding: “It’s a living nightmare for any parent and I can hardly begin to imagine their loss.”
References
- ^ camping trip to Snowdonia (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ investigation into the deaths (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ the mother of Harvey (www.telegraph.co.uk)