Dad-of-three died falling 200ft off cliff while filming with drone (2025)

Giles, 47, from Lancashire, failed to return home when the alarm was raised

A dad-of-three who was reported missing after failing to return home fell around 200ft to his death while filming on clifftops, an inquest has heard.

Giles Battye, 47, originally from Blackburn in Lancashire, was tragically found dead at the bottom of cliffs five days after being reported missing. He had driven to Bigbury-on-sea in Devon on December 2, 2022, and walked to the tidal island.

He was reported missing by his mother, and was found days later alongside his drone. A GoPro camera was found at the top of the cliffs by police, reports DevonLive. Videos taken before the fall were found on the GoPro, but the drone was too badly damaged to provide any further evidence.

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The coroner said Giles, who had been living in Totnes, Devon, died from multiple injuries sustained in a fall from height.

The inquest, held at Exeter Coroner's Court, heard Giles, was a shop fitter and had been in good health until contracting Covid in 2020. At that time he had been living in London and where he owned a successful business.

After catching the virus and suffering with long Covid he was unable to work properly and was declared bankrupt - after which he moved to Totnes.

He worked helping his mother Ethel repair her holiday lettings and shops, which he was to inherit. Ethel said Giles was her only child and was a 'warm and sunny person' who was very affectionate. She said his long Covid symptoms included poor memory, exhaustion, blinding headaches, ringing ears and a loss of concentration, but said that he never complained about it and remained 'optimistic'.

She added his three children were 'his world'. Ethel said the last time she saw him was on December 2, when he left home saying he was going out in his van. When he failed to return and could not be contacted for days, she reported him missing.

Gile's ex-partner and mother of his three children said they had separated in 2019. She said there was 'no way to describe the loss' she and her children had suffered following his death.

Describing his love for his children, she said: "He loved them deeply."

Police evidence read out by the coroner stated that the focus of its investigation became Burgh Island after his car was located nearby and his rucksack was found on the island. Giles's death was confirmed on December 7, 2022, after his body was located by police and coastguards.

Recording a conclusion of accidental death, Alison Longhorn, area coroner for Devon, said: "The GoPro was subsequently analysed by police and found it contained video footage in which Giles can be seen walking holding a selfie stick with the GoPro descending downwards. It showed he had been walking close to the cliff edge and he appeared confident in doing so.

"While walking around, he appeared to be looking upwards or downwards towards the camera rather than monitoring where he was walking."

Concluding that his death was 'likely' an accident fall from the cliff she said it is 'likely he was working with the drone he was not watching where he was going and accidentally fell from the cliff'.

She said: "It must have been dreadful to lose Giles in this sudden and unexpected way."