Dick Booth dies in Snowdonia
14 May 2004

Dick Booth

Dick was a great friend of Uganda, he was there in 1997 and again in 2000. His great skill was to inspire others to do more, to work for greater achievements and to do it with a smile. Even the youngest Scout got to know Dick for his happy smile and constant encouragement.

While Leaders moved forward with his encouragement they also had to learn to live with his home made wine and the headache the next morning.

He was a great friend of many and now is gone, ironically falling to his death in his most favourite location - Snowdonia National Park.

Our thanks to Dick for all he did, our thoughts are with his family.

Dick Booth - GONE HOME

This is the BBC Report

Walker killed in 250ft fall


The Ogwen Valley mountain rescue team recovered the walker's body. A walker has died after slipping over a rock face while walking in Snowdonia. North Wales Police named the man as Richard Booth, 77, from Bishopston in Swansea.

He fell 250 feet while ascending Y Garn above the Ogwen Valley on Wednesday afternoon.

Mr Booth's body was recovered by 22 members of the Ogwen Valley Rescue team.

Rescuers said Mr Booth, an experienced mountain walker, had been "extremely unlucky."

A spokesman for the Ogwen Valley mountain rescue team said he slipped in the wrong place.

Mr Booth and a friend from Swansea, John Robinson, had been walking up a footpath on Y Garn in thick cloud when he slipped.

He fell over a 10ft rock face and continued to tumble down a scree slope on the mountainside.

Mr Robinson climbed down to him and realised he was dead.

He tried to summon assistance with a whistle and by shouting and eventually came across three other walkers with a mobile phone who called for help.

Although he was not wearing a helmet, Mr Booth was otherwise well-equipped.

Mr Booth was an adviser to the Welsh Scout Association and had extensive experience of high level walking in Britain, Uganda, the Himalayas and the Pyrenees.

Anne Harries, area commissioner of the Glamorgan West division of the Scout Association, said: "It is a terrible irony that the hills of Snowdonia that he loved so much eventually claimed his life.

"His expertise in mountain walking has been of enormous value to the Scouts," she added.

Our thanks to the BBC for allowing us to reproduce this report