Wife dies in mountain fall in front of her husband

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Patricia Fletcher, 64, is believed to have died instantly in the accident 6,000 feet up on the Via Ferrata delle Trincee in the Dolomites.

A police officer said her husband George and their friends saw her stumble and fall but it happened too quickly for them to do anything to save her.

Mrs Fletcher's body was recovered by mountain rescue teams and placed in a chapel in the town of Arraba where her husband paid his respects.

A council official said: "He wanted to come in and have a few minutes with his wife. He was alone apart from a guide who speaks English and he was very upset."

Mr Fletcher was this morning making arrangements to have the body flown to their home in Nantwich, Cheshire.

Police have formally opened an investigation but Lieutenant Samantha Cimolino of the carabinieri said it was being treated as an accident.

She added: "From what they have told us they were in an area where there is still a lot of snow and she slipped." The group were on a break organised by Colletts which specialises in mountain holidays.

The climbs are said to be of medium difficulty and on its website Colletts says: "Whilst a reasonable level of fitness, sure-footedness, awareness of alpine dangers and freedom from vertigo are important, most routes allow the 'man on the street' to get further from the street than he ever thought possible".