A business director who went on a walking holiday to clear his head from work stress was found dead after suffering from hypothermia which caused him to strip off his clothes, an inquest has heard.
Jason Gates, who ran an employment consultancy with his father and brother-in-law, was reported missing on March 17 after his dog, Max, was found on farmland close to Drumnadrochit, near Loch Ness.
His body was found on May 3 in a dense forest on nearby Cnoc A’Bhuachaille.
David Horsley, coroner for Portsmouth, said that a post mortem examination revealed that the 36-year-old, described by his family as a “gentle giant”, had died of hypothermia.
He explained that “paradoxical undressing” was a symptom of the condition which leads people to take their clothes off as it makes them feel hot despite them actually suffering from the cold.
Mr Horsley said: “When people start to develop hypothermia they are actually cold but they feel hot and take their clothes off.”
Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr Horsley told Mr Gates’s family: “He has gone up to Scotland to help clear his head, he had been having some health problems.
“He had been enjoying walking his dog when he has developed hypothermia and he has died. His death is due to a tragic accident.
“I am so awfully sorry, what a terrible shock for you and to have it drawn out for so long in the time it took to find him. I am entirely satisfied that Jason has died due to an accident.”
Mr Gates’s father, Malcolm, told the inquest that his son had been suffering from stress and they had “suspended” him from work to make him take a holiday.
He said: “He was stressed, we wanted him to have a break from the business because he hadn’t had a holiday for many years.”
He added that his son died during a second visit to Scotland, having returned briefly to Bedhampton, Hampshire, to pay builders who were renovating his home.
He added that his son had been living in the Marriott hotel, Portsmouth, while the work was being carried out.
The inquest heard that Mr Gates had a history of depression and had been seen by mental health services in recent months.
Speaking after the inquest, Mr Gates’s sister, Alison Ware, said: “He was a lovely guy, we knew him best and he was a lovely, fun guy, a bit quiet and always described as a gentle giant, he wouldn’t hurt anyone,. The best brother and uncle you could ever have, it’s just a tragedy.”
