Norwich man in hospital after falling into Welsh gorge

Alexander Catt, 24, who is an executive for the Norwich Green Party, thanked and praised the work of NHS staff and a helicopter rescue team who came to his aid on his social media posts at the weekend.

The volunteers who helped rescue Alexander Catt, from Norwich, from a Welsh gorge on September 8, 2021 (Image: South Snowdonia Search and Rescue Team)

The restaurant deputy manager said on his Facebook page: "If anyone wonders why I have been uncontactable for four days, it’s because I came very close to dying in Wales. Thank you so much to all the NHS staff from mountain rescue to the helicopter team to staff in both Bangor and Royal Stoke University hospitals who were all so so so lovely and caring."

On Twitter he said he was recovering in hospital adding: "Thank you to all NHS staff who’ve been the loveliest people and everyone who had me in their thoughts."

The rescue operation to get Alexander Catt from Norwich out of the Welsh gorge on September 8, 2021 (Image: South Snowdonia Search and Rescue Team)

South Snowdonia Search and Rescue Team put on its Facebook page that its volunteers had been called out to look for a young man who had been reported missing in the Coed y Brenin area on the evening of Wednesday, September 8.

It said: "After a brief search a team member spotted him in the gorge below Pistyll Cain. The young man had fallen around 80ft, a rope system was set up to abseil down to the casualty. He had suffered multiple injuries in the fall.

"Due to the difficult winching and weather conditions a rope system was applied to bring the casualty back up the gorge in a stretcher. He was then taken in the team vehicle to meet HM Coastguard Bristows Rescue AW189 at a safe location for transport to hospital.

"Huge thanks once again to Aberdyfi Search and Rescue Team for their assistance."