A BOLTON man plunged 300ft to his death while out walking in the Lake District.

Father-of-two David O'Callaghan, aged 44 was climbing Helvellyn on Friday with his younger brother Peter when the pair became separated in mist.

Peter, aged 41, last saw David on Striding Edge, a ridge close to the summit of the 3,000ft mountain, at around 2pm.

He spent several hours searching the mountainside for his brother, an experienced walker, before descending to raise the alarm from a public phone box.

Mr O'Callaghan's body was found by an RAF helicopter crew shortly after 10pm following a search operation involving 52 mountain rescuers from across the region.

He had died from head injuries.

Today, his devastated wife Philippa, aged 43, was being consoled at home, in Havisham Close, Lostock, by friends and neighbours.

She paid tribute to her "hard-working and fun" husband.

"He worked so hard and this was a rare day off for him," she said. "He met Pete in Lancaster in the morning and they drove to the Lake District.

"We're just so shocked. He was doing something he loved and it was the last thing that any of us expected.

"I can't be angry, he was an experienced walker and he knew what he was doing up there."

Rescue teams from Patterdale, Keswick and Penrith, and 10 search dogs spent four hours searching the area around Striding Edge for the missing walker.

Mr O'Callaghan had two children, Liam, aged 14, and Kate, aged 12.

With business partner Bobby Print, he set up GMAP in 1988, a firm which works as consultants to agencies who deal with children and social work.

As well as being a keen walker for around 25 years, Mr O'Callaghan also enjoyed cycling, swimming and running as well as music.

Mrs O'Callaghan added: "He was full of life and he loved his job. In the last year, he had been so happy.

"He worked really hard to get his business to where it was and it was something he loved doing. He was brilliant at working with people.

"He'd looked forward to the day for so long and managed to get some time off work. They decided to go on a Friday because they thought it would be quieter.

"Pete has been going through all the decisions they took to think if they might have done something differently."

Mrs O'Callaghan added that he had walked the route on several occasions before.

David Freeborn, leader of the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team, said: "Striding Edge is a classic mountaineering route, but you do need a certain amount of experience and the right kit to climb it safely.

"What probably happened is that the brothers strayed from the normal path and became lost. The man did have a mobile phone with him, but they don't work very well in this area."

An inquest was expected to be opened and adjourned by a Cumbrian coroner today.

"He was found on the mountain face and was already dead when rescuers reached him. The likelihood is he slipped on snow and fell."

"There are a number of ways to come off the mountain, that's why it was necessary to have so many rescuers on the search, to cover every possibility.

Insp Paul Coulson from Cumbria Police said: "This is one of many serious accidents that we experience with walkers in the Lakeland fells.

"Skid and slide marks leading to where the body was found suggest he slipped and fell.

"I would urge anybody thinking of making these sort of excursions to bear in mind that in adverse weather conditions they are particularly vulnerable and should take extra care."