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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Graeme Murray & Mark Branagan & Ashlie Blakey

Manchester City doctor dies after falling 300ft from mountain where he proposed to wife 27 years earlier

A Manchester City medic fell 300ft to his death when he and his wife visited a mountain where he had proposed 27 years before, an inquest heard.

Dr Jamie Butler, who became senior medical officer with the team in 2009, was visiting Striding Edge in the Lake District with his wife Margaret in November last year when tragedy struck, the Mirror reports.

The pair, from Altrincham, wanted to go back to the Lake District spot where he had asked her to marry him in 1994.

The inquest was told how it held special place in the couple's hearts.

READ MORE: Man died after losing control of a 'powerful' motorbike

But tragically, the doctor - who also worked for Sale Sharks rugby club - fell from the peak in poor visibility after a mist came down.

He was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering significant injuries, including a fractured skull.

Dr Jamie Butler died after falling 300ft from a mountain peak (Altius Healthcare/The Mirror)

The Cockermouth hearing was told how the couple had taken on the walk in the afternoon and wanted to visit the exact location where the marriage proposal took place.

But Mrs Butler said when they reached Striding Edge she was too tired to continue.

Dr Butler, however, continued and walked along it on his own to find the exact spot where he asked her to marry him.

In a statement, Mrs Butler described seeing her husband walk off into mist.

After seeing no sign of him, she then shouted after him but got no response and called the police.

Dr Butler worked for Manchester City and Sale Sharks (Ostenil/The Mirror)

It was then discovered that Dr Butler had fallen from the peak.

His body was later found by rescue crews below the ridge, before he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Coroner Kirsty Gomersal concluded the death was an accident as Mrs Butler paid tribute to her husband who she said she and her family loved.

Mrs Butler said: “Jamie was a loving husband with two twin boys who he adored.

"He will be forever missed. He died doing what he loved.”

Dr Butler studied medicine at Liverpool University and during his post-graduate training, he trained in all surgical specialities.

He became a neurosurgical registrar in Oxford before training as a GP with wide interests including sports medicine.

In 2007, Dr Butler became a medic for Manchester City Football Club.

In 2011, he was cleared of wrongdoing after Kolo Toure was given a six months ban after testing positive for drugs.

The defender took his wife's diet pills and when he was found out, then claimed he showed Dr Butler, who gave him the thumbs to take them.

A Football Association report ruled against Toure and stated: "[Dr Butler] never told him it was safe to use water tablets [and] he would unequivocally have said they were prohibited and should not be used."

Doug Jones, the head physiotherapist at Altius Healthcare, in Hale, worked with Dr Butler at Premiership rugby union side Sale Sharks when he was part of the physio team.

Speaking to MailOnline, Mr Jones said: "He was a really fantastic guy who didn’t have a bad word to say about anyone. He was very loved by the staff and players at both Sale & Man City…. you just couldn’t not warm to him."

Dr Butler was also described as a "wonderful guy who will be very missed by his friends and family".

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