A KEEN and experienced walker fell to his death while out in the hills for the day, an inquest heard.

Michael Griggs, 73, of Derwent Park, Great Broughton, was found in Borrowdale on July 16, 2021, by a mountain rescue search dog and handler.

A search had been launched the evening before when he failed to return home.

An inquest in Cockermouth heard that Mr Griggs had sent a message to his son, saying he was stuck and needed help - but the message tragically did not arrive until the day after he was found.

Mr Griggs had been diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017. The stage 4 cancer was incurable but had been stabilised with treatment, the inquest heard.

His son, Andrew Palmer, said: "He was a keen fell walker and had been walking since he was 16. He continued to do this when he felt able."

The inquest heard that Mr Griggs was born in Brixton, London, and lived there until he was 21. He did various jobs after school and later set up his own stationery and typewriter repair business.

He moved to Great Broughton with his partner, Linda Palmer, and son in 2001, wound his company down and intended to semi-retire.

He worked as a caretaker in Aldi, Cockermouth, for a few years.

In a statement from Ms Palmer, assistant coroner Margaret Taylor, heard Mr Griggs was planning to spend the day walking in the fells.

"I woke up and found Michael already up and dressed. He said he was feeling good and wanted to go to Eagle Crag and Sergeant Crag, parking at Stonethwaite," said Ms Palmer.

"His rucksack was in the car. I made him a packed lunch. He set off at 8.30am. He appeared well."

She expected to hear from him through the day. When she had not heard at 2pm she tried to call him but could not get through.

Two hours later she had still not heard so called her daughter-in- law, who then contacted her son.

When Mr Palmer finished work he went to Stonethwaite to try and find his father. 

"I left work at 6.30pm, drove to Stonethwaite and found Michael's car parked in a layby," said Mr Palmer.

"I walked to the base of Eagle Crag, walked around the base and down the valley to see if I could see or hear anything of Michael but I could not."

Ms Palmer called the police at 8.30pm to report Mr Griggs missing.

Mr Palmer went to the family home hoping to track the location of his father's phone on the laptop. He was unable to do this but found, paused on YouTube on the laptop, the route his father intended to take.

He passed the details on to Keswick Mountain Rescue Team.

He met team members at his father's car. "I unlocked it so the dog handler could get a scent from Michael’s clothing in the boot. They went up the hill," said Mr Palmer.

At 4am the family were called to say Mr Griggs had been found deceased at the base of Heron Crag.

The following day, Mr Palmer received a call from his father's Facebook account, stating: “I’m stuck on Eagle Crag, overlooking Langstrath, I need help."

"It was only sent when his phone reconnected with the network next morning," said Mr Palmer.

Thomas Blakely, rescue team deputy leader and paramedic, told the inquest that the team and search dogs were supported by a helicopter.

It was suspected that Mr Griggs fell from crags above.

A toxicology report detected morphine, consistent with therapeutic use, explicable by the diagnosis of lung carcinoma.

A post mortem gave the medical cause of death as multiple injuries.

Ms Taylor said: "Michael had been a keen fell walker since the age of 16. Despite considerable ill health he had continued to walk. 

"I have noted it was a great joy to him while coping with the rigours of cancer."

She concluded his death was 'accidental' and offered condolences to his family.

"They must be devastated by the death of Michael who, despite his cancer, had been relatively fit and regularly doing quite strenuous walks. He was clearly doing what he loved at the time of his death."