TRIBUTES have been paid to a much-loved grandmother who died after plunging 60 feet from a cliff top path while out on a ramble with a walking group in Cumbria.
Valerie Bates, 77, from Heswall on the Wirral, passed away last Sunday, despite a massive rescue effort to save her.
A member of The Village and West Kirby Walking Clubs, Mrs Bates was described by family as a "much-loved wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, loved and respected by so many."
Stepdaughter Nikki Bates said: "Val was a very experienced and accomplished walker who had completed many long distance walks including the Camino de Santiago 775km pilgrimage, the Coast to Coast and the Great Glen from Fort William to Inverness.
"We would like to thank the multiagency response to this tragic accident, including the Police (PC Westworth and Masters) from Kendal who were extremely compassionate and supportive."
Members of the emergency services 'fought very hard' to keep Mrs Bates alive after she fell onto the beach between Arnside and Silverdale.
She was found unconscious in shallow water, by a retired coastguard member. He alerted the emergency services and administered CPR.
A huge emergency response was launched and crews managed to keep Mrs Bates alive for more than an hour, however she died in the air ambulance from complications while being flown to the Royal Preston Hospital
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