Tributes after railway death

Aug 13 2008 by David Rutland, Rhyl Visitor

A RHYL man has died after being hit by a train following the funeral of a close friend.

On Friday night, Chadleigh Blake Jones was killed by the 10.07pm train from Llandudno Junction to Chester, running on the North Wales coast railway line.

British Transport Police identified the victim as Chadleigh early yesterday morning (Tuesday).

The Visitor has been told that Chadleigh was good friends with Rhyl’s Gareth Ryles, who died in France last month, and had attended his funeral earlier in the day.

Close friend Jake Rees said of him: “He was the nicest guy you could ever meet. He made nobody feel uneasy and had the biggest cheesiest grin that just lit up the room whenever he walked in.

“There was never a miserable time with Chad, just good times, and that’s why we are all going to miss him. He was the one that spurred us on when everything looked bad and he always got the most out of every situation.

“He also loved playing the guitar and passing on his skills to all of us.”

The British Transport Police, who are responsible for investigating deaths on railways, said they did not believe there was anything suspicious about Chadleigh’s death.

A spokesman said: “On August 8 at approximately 10.40pm, British Transport Police were called to an incident just outside Prestatyn Railway Station.

“It was reported that a train had struck something at this location. Following further investigation and inquiries, the body of a man in his mid-twenties was found.

“He was pronounced dead at the scene and taken to Bodelwyddan mortuary.

“The circumstances are unexplained at this time but British Transport Police are continuing with the investigation.”

It is thought that the former Blessed Edward Jones pupil had attempted to cross the railway line at the bottom of Ceg-y-Ffordd, only 20 yards away from a road bridge.

One comment left on the popular Bebo website describes him: “Chad was a great lad, always willing to go out of his way to help his mates.

“He was all about the music. He loved going to festivals like V, Glastonbury, T in the Park, and parties. He loved playing his guitar and basically having a good time. May you sleep tight and rest in peace.”

An inquest was opened by North Wales coroner John Hughes yesterday morning (Tuesday) and adjourned until a date to be fixed.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or Crime Stoppers 0800 555 111.