Tributes paid to snowboarder who fell to his death in France
Alpine holiday ended in tragedy for ‘kind and passionate man’ BAE fined after fatality at plant
FAMILY and friends have paid tribute to a Scots snowboarder who died after falling from an isolated ridge in the French Alps.
John Lamb plummeted 3600ft after getting into difficulties on a path close to the summit of Mont Blanc as he returned from the last run of his five-month holiday in Chamonix.
His estranged wife Rachael said the IT professional was a “kind and passionate” man who had been snowboarding since he was a teenager. She said he would not have taken unnecessary risks.
The couple, who were separated but not divorced, lived together in Edinburgh, where Ms Lamb runs the Hannah Zakari boutique.
Mr Lamb, 34, had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) a year ago but remained healthy, and the condition is not thought to have been a factor in the accident.
Ms Lamb said: “We had stayed good friends and I cared for him very much. It’s been a huge shock to everyone. He was so well liked and was a kind, thoughtful and passionate person.
“He found out that he had MS at the beginning of last year but despite this was extremely healthy and active and took good care of himself.
“He was a very active sportsman but didn’t compete professionally. He enjoyed surfing, climbing, swimming and cycling, was a long-distance runner and ran the Edinburgh Marathon last year.”
She added: “Last year he did an off-piste snowboarding course and he was a very experienced snowboarder, who had been boarding for around 15 years.” Mr Lamb, who went to Glasgow University, had set off to tackle the Vallee Blanche off-piste descent on Saturday morning with a friend.
However, the weather changed dramatically and they were forced to turn back because of a snowstorm and 60mph winds.
At first the pair tried to ride out the storm by building a snow shelter, but as the weather worsened they took the decision to hike back up the glacier to reach a cable car station.
His companion managed to make it to safety, but the Scot slipped from the path and fell to his death.
Chamonix police have said he would have been totally exhausted by the attempt to reach safety and had barely covered any ground when he reached the last stretch of the path.
Mr Lamb was a member of Hacklab in Edinburgh, a workshop for IT and electronics enthusiasts, and had a wide circle of friends in the city.
Aaron Dron, a member and former director of Hacklab, said: “We was a great guy and we’re all absolutely torn up.
“We were expecting him back today and this has come as a real shock.
John was always very positive and helped a lot of us here at Hacklab. He always had time for anybody who asked and would help out with anything they were working on. He will be greatly missed by us all.”
The Foreign Office has said it is providing consular assistance to Mr Lamb’s family. DEFENCE giant BAE Systems has been ordered to pay almost £350,000 in fines and costs after a worker died when he was c r us hed by a 145-ton metal press in an “entirely preventable tragedy”.
The Health and Safety Executive said its investigation into the death of experienced maintenance engineer Gary Whiting, 51, exposed a series of flaws in safety practices during maintenance of the metal press, some of which had existed for many years.
Mr Whiting, 51, died on November 10, 2008 following a routine service on a large metal press at the BAE plant at Brough, East Yorkshire,
Hull Crown Court heard Mr Whiting entered the machine to remove a piece of equipment but, at the same time, a colleague at the other end of the press started a full test cycle. He was trapped by a descending frame and he died the same day in hospital.
The company pled guilty to health and safety breaches at a hearing last year.