Father’s agony after boy’s fatal 200ft Snowdon fall

Oct 29 2007 by Alan Weston, Liverpool Daily Post

A DEVASTATED father last night described the moment of horror when his 11-year-old son fell to his death from a Snowdonia peak.

Liam Costello, from Childwall, was with a party of other children and their parents, including his father, when he tumbled 200ft from a ridge.

He suffered severe head injuries in the fall on Crib Goch, a narrow ridge not far from the summit of Snowdon, shortly before 1pm on Friday.

The party, made up of six adults and 10 children, had split up into two groups when the accident happened.

Liam’s father, also called Liam, did not witness the fall himself, but was met by police officers after he had descended the mountain. The sports-mad youngster was a star player with the Woolton Warriors junior team, which his father set up and for whom he was head coach.

Speaking from his home in a quiet cul-de-sac off Woolton Road, in Childwall, last night, Mr Costello, 48, said: “Liam was scrambling up a sheer face, and grabbed hold of a boulder to pull himself up.

“The rock came away, and he fell backwards over the edge of the ridge.

“It was a tragic accident and nobody’s fault. He had all the right gear, it was a walk rather than a climb.”

As well as football – where he received a number of players’ awards – Liam was a talented cricketer and had been selected for trials with Lancashire Cricket Club.

He had just started at St Francis Xavier’s College in September, and was a keen Everton fan. He has a younger brother, Tom, aged eight.

All junior football matches were called off in Woolton as a mark of respect on Saturday, while a minute’s silence was held at a number of other fixtures in the Merseyside Junior Football League. Last night, the boy’s parents were being comforted by family members.

His mother, Patti, 43, said: “He was the quietest, most well-mannered, cherished and adored child.

“His coach had said he would be a legend with cricket.

“He had the most wonderful life and everyone who knew him is devastated. Never was a child more wanted and he was our pride and joy.”

Liam and his father had been walking in a large group of two families, among which were a number of children.

Around 30 rescue team members stayed with the boy and other members of the party for several hours as they waited for an RAF helicopter to airlift him to hospital.

But thick cloud prevented the helicopter reaching the boy who was stuck at about 3,000ft.

In a painstaking, six-hour operation, rescuers walked him down on a stretcher to a point where they could meet the RAF rescue helicopter.

He was airlifted to Gwynedd Hospital in Bangor, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Dr Gwyn Roberts, chairman of Llanberis mountain rescue team, said such operations could be traumatic for those taking part when they realised the extent of the tragedy.

He said: “A lot of the rescuers have children of a similar age. It’s left a mark on everyone and our thoughts are with the boy’s family and friends.”