A TEENAGER from Liverpool died in Conwy after losing his balance and falling from a mountain range, an inquest heard.

Jia Jun Philip Zhu died aged 19 at Tryfan, Capel Curig, Conwy on Monday, May 6.

Following a full inquest into his death, held at County Hall, Ruthin today (September 27), John Gittins, senior coroner for North Wales (East and Central), recorded a conclusion of an accidental death.

Mr Zhu’s medical cause of death was stated as blunt force head and spinal injuries due to a fall from height.

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The inquest heard that Mr Zhu, a student and martial arts coach of Sandy Road, Liverpool, was hiking with his two brothers at Tryfan when he convinced them to take a “shortcut”, but lost his balance on loose rock and fell.

His uncle, Philip Cheng, said he felt his death had occurred as a result of a “genuine misjudgement of the situation that he found himself in”.

Volunteers from the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team received a call about the incident at 3.17pm that day, but initially struggled to locate the brothers.

At 4.44pm, they received their approximate location as “V Cleft”, where Mr Zhu was found dead.

Arrangements were then made to provide dignity for Mr Zhu, and to assist his two brothers, utilising a rope system, on to safe ground.

A post-mortem examination found no drugs or alcohol in Mr Zhu’s system, meanwhile.

Concluding, Mr Gittins said Mr Zhu’s injuries would likely have provided “unsurvivable”, and anticipated that they would have caused “immediate death”, rather than him enduring any suffering.

“This, purely and simply, was an accidental death,” he said.

Extending his condolences his Mr Zhu’s family, Mr Gittins added: “It is a big loss, but even in the short time that you had him, I’m sure that you’re very proud he was a part of your family.

“I also express my condolences to his brothers, who also had the tragedy that they had to endure on May 6.”