Runner dies on Sugarloaf

12:41pm Tuesday 20th May 2008

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A RUNNER collapsed and died near the summit of a Gwent mountain, sparking a huge rescue operation.

The man, in his forties and believed to be from the Cardiff area, was running with a friend on Abergavenny's Sugarloaf mountain when he collapsed at around 7.30pm on Monday.

It is thought the two men knew the area well, and were on their way back down the mountain when the man collapsed on steep ground around 100 metres from the summit on the Llanwenarth side.

Gwent Police's force helicopter was immediately deployed.

It collected a paramedic from Nevill Hall hospital and flew him to the scene, closely followed by a police 4x4.

Fifteen personnel from Abergavenny-based Longtown Mountain Rescue were on the scene within 15 minutes in three 4x4 off-road vehicles.

Team leader Mark Nicholls said: "We were called to support the police and ambulance service, who had a report of an unconscious casualty on the Sugarloaf. We assisted taking paramedics and equipment up to the scene.

"The paramedics were administering first aid, but within a short period of time it was obvious the man was deceased."

The man's body was taken to Nevill Hall hospital in the police 4x4.

It is not known how the man died, but Mr Nicholls said it was of natural causes and not a as the result of an accident or injury.

He said: "He was in his mid 40s, on a fell run, running with a friend, and collapsed on his way down from the summit.

"Both knew the area well and were properly-equipped for the run."

A Gwent Police spokeswoman confirmed the force helicopter was used to take a paramedic to the scene, and said the man was dead on arrival.

His death is not being treated as suspicious.