Brecon Beacons: Tributes to couple who died at waterfalls

The families of a couple who died at waterfalls in Brecon Beacons National Park have said their “endless laughter will be forever remembered”.

Rachael and Helen Patching, aged 33 and 52, from Kent, were visiting Ystradfellte, Powys, while on holiday.

The alarm was raised at about 11:45 GMT on 4 January after two people were seen in the water.

The body of a woman was found on 5 January and a second body was found in a river near Glynneath on Sunday.

Fire services, mountain rescue and national air support services were involved in the large four-day search.

In a joint statement, their families said they were “devastated”.

“We are devastated to have suffered such an immeasurable loss following the news of Rachael and Helen’s passing at just 33 and 52,” they said.

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

“Their love for animals and dedication to caring for them so lovingly over the years made them a truly admirable credit to themselves and society.”

They went on to say their “endless laughter will be forever remembered by all who had the honour to know them”, adding: “There are no words that can express enough how highly they were both thought of by family members, friends, and colleagues.”

They thanked the emergency services and other organisations that helped.

Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team previously said high levels of very fast-flowing water in the river along with deteriorating weather conditions provided many challenges to both the search and the recovery.