Mayar from Driesh, two of the munros Mr Coffield is believed to have summited. Photo: David Shand CC-BY-ND-2.0
The body of a walker has been discovered in a van parked in a layby in the Scottish Highlands.
Police said they believed Michael Coffield had been walking in the Spittal of Glenshee area of Perthshire before the discovery. He was found in his van near Finegand Farm, south of Glenshee Lodge on the A93 Blairgowrie to Braemar road shortly before 10pm on Monday.
Mr Coffield, 28, of Paisley, Renfrewshire, was described by police as an experienced hillwalker. His body was found in his Renault Trafic box van.
A spokesperson for Tayside Police said: “While there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, enquiries into the full set of circumstances are continuing and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.”
A posting by his friend MacKenzie on the MunroMagic website forums said he had completed a circuit of mountains in the area before going to sleep in his sleeping bag in the back of his van.
Editor’s note: The quotes from the postings have been removed from this report. See comment below
Police said they believed Michael Coffield had been walking in the Spittal of Glenshee area of Perthshire before the discovery. He was found in his van near Finegand Farm, south of Glenshee Lodge on the A93 Blairgowrie to Braemar road shortly before 10pm on Monday.
Mr Coffield, 28, of Paisley, Renfrewshire, was described by police as an experienced hillwalker. His body was found in his Renault Trafic box van.
A spokesperson for Tayside Police said: “While there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, enquiries into the full set of circumstances are continuing and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.”
A posting by his friend MacKenzie on the MunroMagic website forums said he had completed a circuit of mountains in the area before going to sleep in his sleeping bag in the back of his van.
MacKenzie said: “Michael worked Friday, then on Friday night headed up to climb Driesh and Mayar.
“Night walks were something he was very good at and he managed these munros easily. He then headed back to his van early Saturday morning for a rest then probably around 5am he headed to Glen Doll to do the Lochnagar circuit.
Mr Coffield was clearly adding to his munro tally before his death.
MacKenzie continued: “This is when all the texts started flying in as he added seven peaks to his list taking him to 160. And that’s exactly what his last text said, just: 160. He then made it back to his van where he then drove three miles south of Spittal of Glenshee and then decided to get some sleep – he’d been awake since Friday morning it was now Saturday night, not to mention he just safely climbed seven munros in winter.
“He went to sleep. And he never woke up.
“His family was told that he died of hypothermia in the back of his van. He must not have eaten enough and wasn’t rested enough, then when he went to sleep underestimated the temperature of his van and his body was so exhausted it just didn’t have the energy to keep him warm anymore.
“He then painlessly and peacefully passed away without even noticing.
“I’m sure that when his time came if it wasn’t outdoors he would have been disappointed.”
Photo: David Shand CC-BY-ND-2.0
Philip Whiteman
17 February 2010A very sad death. It is a great shame that he could not have lived to see yet more mountains. However, as the article says, this happened at a location and after any activity he clearly enjoyed.
The nature of his death is a salient lesson to all of us in terms of the dangers related to exhaustion and the cold.
Long may he rest in peace.
MacKenzie Barker
17 February 2010not really happy about my message to the friends of Mick being placed in it's entirety into this article, but I did post it on a public forum so...... my mistake.