Brecon Beacons: Holiday couple drowned at waterfall - inquest

The provisional cause of death for two women who died near a popular waterfall was drowning, an inquest has heard.

Helen and Rachael Patching, aged 52 and 33, from Kent, were visiting Ystradfellte, Powys, in the Brecon Beacons National Park while on holiday.

The alarm was raised at about 11:45 GMT on 4 January after a body was seen in the water.

Family tributes after their deaths called them "such a devoted, selfless, and loving couple".

The body of Helen Patching was found on 5 January and Rachael was located in a river near Glynneath on 8 January.

Fire services, mountain rescue and national air support services were involved in a large search.

At Pontypridd Coroners Court, usher Catherine Burnell said "a search commenced and the body of Helen Patching was located within the water of the waterfall".

Ms Burnell told the coroner police received a call from a member of the public who "spotted a body at Spring Lakes campsite between Glynneath and Resolven".

Officers from South Wales Police attended and located Rachel Patching at the river's edge.

Post-mortem examinations carried out on both determined the provisional cause of death as drowning.

The coroner for south Wales central, Patricia Morgan, sent her "deepest condolences" to the friends and families of both women "at this tragic time".

Following the deaths, their families said they were "devastated".

"They were such a devoted, selfless, and loving couple having had an immensely positive impact on all those they met," they said.

There was flooding in parts of mid and west Wales following heavy rainfall around the time of the incident, with firefighters rescuing people left stranded in cars.

Ystradfellte Falls are a series of four waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons which are linked by a walking path and popular with tourists and day-trippers.