Sisters' inquest is reminder of hidden dangers of beauty spots

Hajra Zahid, 29, and Haleema Zahid, 25, from Maltby, died after entering the water at pools beside the Watkin Path on Yr Wyddfa in Eryri National Park last June.

An inquest heard the sisters had travelled to the area with friends before walking to the cascades on the Afon Cwm Llan river, where a series of clear plunge pools sit beneath waterfalls.

The women, who could not swim, had gone to paddle while fully clothed before somehow ending up in deeper water – possibly slipping on wet rocks.

One was found floating face down while mountain rescuers recovered the other from the pool.

Assistant coroner Sarah Riley concluded the deaths were accidental last week and said it appeared neither woman had intended to go swimming.

The Watkin cascades are a well-known beauty spot and lie only a relatively short walk from the road in the Nant Gwynant valley, drawing walkers and visitors to what appears to be a natural paddling area.

With the summer only a few months away, rescue organisations warn pools beneath waterfalls can conceal hazards that are not immediately obvious.

Waterfall basins are often deeper than they appear, carved by centuries of falling water, while the rock shelves around them can become extremely slippery.

Even during hot weather the water itself can remain very cold because it is fed by mountain streams.

The Royal Life Saving Society UK has repeatedly warned about the risks of entering inland waters during warm weather.

“It may seem an inviting way to cool off – but there are deadly dangers such as extremely cold temperatures, unpredictable currents and uneven depths,” the charity said in a safety warning.

Rescue teams say such locations can be deceptive because they resemble natural swimming pools but are actually part of fast-flowing mountain rivers.

Police said a major emergency response was launched when the sisters were reported missing in the water last summer, with mountain rescue teams, an air ambulance and a coastguard helicopter sent to the scene.

Across Britain there have been several tragedies at similar waterfall pools where visitors have entered apparently calm water.

In County Durham, teenager Curtis Atherton died after getting into difficulty while swimming beneath the High Force waterfall on the River Tees.

In south Wales, two experienced hikers drowned in the Brecon Beacons area known as “Waterfall Country”, where a number of incidents have occurred over the years.

Rescue teams say such locations can be particularly risky because depth, slippery rock and cold water can combine quickly to overwhelm people who underestimate the environment.

The deaths of the two Maltby sisters prompted an outpouring of sympathy online, with social media users describing the loss as “heart-breaking” and urging walkers to take care around mountain pools and waterfalls.

The sisters, originally from Rawalpindi, Pakistan, came to the UK in January 2025 to study a Masters degree in international business.