Christ’s Hospital climbers’ ‘tragic’ deaths ‘accidental’

The headmaster of Christ’s Hospital School has paid further tributes after the inquest into the ‘tragic’ deaths of a former teacher and pupil.
Vaughan HolmeVaughan Holme
Vaughan Holme

Horsham man and former Christ’s Hospital housemaster Vaughan Holme, 48, fell more than 300ft down a sea cliff pulling his companion with him to their deaths, the BBC has reported after an inquest was held in Anglesey.

Vaughan Holme, 48, and former Christ’s Hospital pupil Jack Hutton-Potts, 23, from Hampshire, were reported missing from the North Stack area of Holyhead at around 10.25pm on Saturday (June 15).

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Mr Holme had been climbing the Gauntlet at Gogarth cliffs near Holyhead, Anglesey, with former pupil Jack Hutton-Potts, 23, of Petersfield, Hampshire.

They were connected by a rope.

The BBC reports Mr Holme had multiple injuries while Mr Hutton-Potts drowned.

Their deaths in June were recorded as accidental.

Following the inquest John Franklin, Christ’s Hospital headmaster, said: “The Christ’s Hospital community was shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of Vaughan, a popular teacher, and Jack who was a young Old Blue (2001 to 2008) in a climbing accident in Anglesey.

“Vaughan joined the Design Technology Department in 1992, was a well-regarded teacher and he and his French wife, Valerie, had been running a boarding house for the past two years.”

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He continued: “Jack was a pupil of immense intelligence and strong personal qualities.

“He specialised in Sciences at A Level but he also had interests and talent in Art, English and Music.

“Jack explored other interests on immediately leaving school, one of these was climbing when he often joined Vaughan on expeditions.

“He went on to study Biomedical Sciences at Sussex. Both are much missed by their contemporaries and the whole of the CH community.”

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