Uni professor dies after mountain hike in heatwave

Tributes have been paid to a university professor who was found dead after going missing on a mountain hike during a heatwave.

Gregor McLennan, 74, who was an emeritus professor in the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies at the University of Bristol, was found dead on Monday in Eryri, also know as Snowdonia.

North Wales Police said he was found on the mountain Carnedd Y Filiast after extensive searches. His death is not thought to be suspicious.

In a statement his family said: "Greg died where he felt most alive and his final view was every bit as wonderful as the man himself."

McLennan had last been seen alive on Thursday 25 June with police, mountain rescue teams and other agencies beginning the search the next day.

His disappearance came amid record-breaking temperatures in Wales with 35.9C (96.62F) recorded in Cardiff on the day he vanished.

"It's deeply painful knowing that he was alone on the mountain while we searched," his family said.

"But early on Monday evening we finally found him and there is a measure of peace in that, not only for us but for his soul...

"Dad was a passionate and inspiring man whose warmth reached many people.

"Our friends and loved ones dropped everything, offering help in an awful time, something we'll always be grateful for."

North Wales Police offered its "deepest condolences" to his family while professor Judith Squires, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost at the University of Bristol, said she was "deeply saddened" to hear of McLennan's death.

"His intellectual generosity, rigour, and commitment to public debate left a lasting impact on students, peers, and the wider discipline," she said.

"A distinguished scholar and valued colleague, he made an outstanding contribution to sociological thought and to the academic community here at the University of Bristol and around the world."

His family and the police have thanked volunteers and members of the public who helped with the search.

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