Massive emergency response after women found in pools at Watkin Path – one of main routes up Mount Snowdon – as detectives appeal for witnesses who were in area between 6pm and 9pm
Two women have died in a devastating double tragedy at one of Wales’ most popular tourist destinations after being pulled from water at a beauty spot in Snowdonia.
Police confirmed both women were pronounced dead at the scene in Nant Gwynant, in Eryri National Park, following the mysterious incident on Wednesday night that triggered a massive emergency response including mountain rescue teams and military helicopters.
Officers were called to the scenic area at 9:31pm after receiving frantic reports that one woman had already been pulled from the water, while another was spotted still in the pools on the famous Watkin Path – one of six main routes to the summit of Mount Snowdon.
Despite desperate efforts to save her, the second woman was also pulled from the water but pronounced dead at the scene alongside the first victim in what locals are calling one of the most tragic incidents to hit the popular walking area in years.
Massive emergency response
The scale of the emergency response highlighted the desperate attempts to save the women’s lives, with multiple agencies racing to the remote mountain location:
- North Wales Police officers first on scene at 9:31pm
- Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team scrambled to assist
- Air Ambulance dispatched to the area
- Coastguard Rescue Helicopter called in to help
The dramatic rescue effort lit up the night sky over the national park as emergency services battled to reach the women at the pools, which are located along one of Snowdonia’s most challenging walking routes.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Gibson of North Wales Police said: “Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the families and friends of both women.
Mystery surrounds deaths
Police have launched a major investigation to establish exactly what happened at the popular tourist spot, with detectives urgently appealing for witnesses who may hold vital clues.
“An investigation to establish what happened is now underway,” DCI Gibson confirmed.
We are appealing for anyone who may have been walking in or around the Watkin Path area between 6pm and 9pm last night, they are urged to contact us via the website or by calling 101 quoting reference number 25000480868.
The three-hour window suggests the women may have been in difficulty for some time before emergency services were alerted, raising questions about whether they were alone or if other walkers might have seen them earlier in the evening.
Deadly beauty spot
The Watkin Path where the tragedy occurred is one of six main routes to the 1,085-metre summit of Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon), Wales’ highest peak.
Beginning at little over sea level at Pont Bethania car park in Nant Gwynant, the path is classified by the National Park Authority as a “hard, strenuous route” that ascends steeply up the southern slopes of the mountain.
The route features:
- Popular pools and waterfalls that attract tourists and locals
- A challenging climb requiring good fitness levels
- Essential navigation skills needed in poor weather
- Loose scree sections near the summit
- Total distance of approximately 8 miles return
The pools where the women were found are located in the lower section of the path, which passes through woodland before opening into the dramatic Cwm Llan valley.
Tourism hotspot under pressure
Nant Gwynant has seen a surge in popularity since the Covid pandemic, with the Watkin Path and its scenic pools becoming a magnet for social media photographers and wild swimmers.
However, this has led to mounting challenges including:
- Severe parking congestion at the small Pont Bethania car park
- Littering problems along the path
- Anti-social behaviour reports
- Illegal parking on the narrow A498 road
The National Park Authority, working with police and other agencies, has been forced to introduce parking restrictions and increase patrols to manage the overwhelming number of visitors drawn to the Instagram-famous location.
Wednesday’s tragedy will likely reignite debates about safety measures at popular wild swimming spots across Wales, where cold water temperatures and hidden hazards pose year-round risks.
Appeal for information
As forensic teams comb the scene for clues, police are desperately seeking anyone who was in the area during the crucial hours before the women were discovered.
The specific time window of 6pm to 9pm suggests investigators are trying to piece together the women’s final movements and establish whether they were together or arrived separately at the fatal location.
Anyone who was walking the Watkin Path or in the Nant Gwynant area is urged to contact North Wales Police immediately, even if they don’t believe they saw anything significant.
Every piece of information could be vital in helping us understand what led to this tragedy,” a police source said.
Community in shock
The double tragedy has sent shockwaves through the tight-knit mountain community, where the Watkin Path holds special significance as one of the historic routes used by Victorian tourists to conquer Snowdon.
Local mountain rescue volunteers, who regularly save lives on the treacherous peaks, were said to be devastated that despite their best efforts, both women could not be saved.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that lurk in even the most beautiful parts of the Welsh mountains, where conditions can change rapidly and water temperatures remain dangerously cold even in summer months.
As the investigation continues, the families of both women face the unbearable task of coming to terms with their losses at what should have been a place of natural beauty and peaceful recreation.
Anyone with information should contact North Wales Police via their website or by calling 101, quoting reference number 25000480868.
