Lightning Blasted Man Into Air And Melted Shirt

A walker has told how he saw his friend killed by lightning in one of two deadly strikes on the Brecon Beacons this summer.

William Belcher described a "bright white flash and an intensely loud, deafening whip crack sound" before seeing his friend Robin Meakings on the ground.

Mr Meakings, a retired teacher, and youth worker Jeremy Prescott were in the Brecon Beacons on adjacent peaks when they were killed.

Their inquests, at Aberdare Coroner's Court, were told that the weather that day had started out fine but had taken a sudden turn for the worse.

Mr Prescott, from Telford in Shropshire, was hit while manning a checkpoint on Corn Ddu mountain as part of a Duke of Edinburgh Awards activity.

Witnesses said the force of the strike was such that it threw the 51-year-old into the air, melting his shirt.

Moments later Mr Meakings, 59, from Surrey, was also struck by lightning as he prepared to descend the 2580ft high peak Cribyn.

Mr Belcher, 46, who had been on an adventure holiday with Mr Meakings and friend Nicholas Earl described what happened.

He said: "Robin was adjusting his walking poles, which were down by his side - and Nic was helping.

"All of a sudden there was this bright white flash and an intensely loud, deafening whip crack sound.

"I could then smell something like burnt leather or bacon.

"Nic went flying forwards while Robin was motionless on his back.

"I was panicking, shouting at both of them 'wake up, wake up'.

"The force of the strike had blown his jacket open and there was discolouration of his chest. At that moment I knew he had gone."

The hearing continues.