Body found in hunt for Team GB athlete missing on hill run
A HILL runner who was part of Team GB is feared to have died after going missing during a run on a Scottish mountain range.
Experienced athlete Chris Smith set off on a run from Invervar near Aberfeldy, Perthshire, around 3pm on Tuesday.
The 43-year-old was aiming to tackle an 11-mile route including four Munros – Meall nan Aighean, Carn Mairg, Meall Garbh and Carn Gorm – before returning at 5pm.
When he did not come back, his family, including wife Lindsay and two children, became concerned.
Emergency services were called and a full search and rescue operation involving mountain rescue teams, Police Scotland and the Coastguard helicopter was launched.
However, yesterday police announced they had found a body during their search.
The discovery was made at about 11.50am near Meall Garbh in the Glen Lyon area. Police Scotland said that no formal identification had yet taken place, but that Mr Smith’s f amily had been informed of the discovery.
During the full-scale search for Mr Smith, his family said they were ‘desperately worried’ but were holding out hope he might be sheltering.
Mr Smith is originally from Aberdeenshire but moved to Haywards Heath, West Sussex, where he joined Thames Valley Harriers.
He was on holiday with his wife and sons when he went missing. During the search, his family had said they hoped he had become disorientated and ended up further away than he aimed to be.
Mr Smith’s sister- i n- l aw Elaine told the BBC: ‘We’re thinking something has gone wrong at some point on his run,’ adding that they hoped he might have been ‘sheltering somewhere, because he’s not able to walk’.
Yesterday, following news that police had discovered a body, one of Mr Smith’s friends Ben Mounsey wrote: ‘Lost for words. Can’t imagine what his family are going through.’
Another wrote: ‘Just awful news. Thoughts to his family and all involved.’
An accomplished runner, Mr Smith has represented Great Britain in international mountain running competitions.
In 2016 he helped Team GB win bronze in the European Mountain Running Championships in Italy.
A spokesman for Police Scotland said: ‘Inquiries remain ongoing and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal in due course.’
A GoFundMe page had been set up to support Scottish Mountain Rescue in its search for Mr Smith. Last night. almost £5,000 had been raised.