A man who died after becoming trapped at the top of a 270ft chimney has been named as 53-year-old Robert Philip Longcake.
In a tribute, his family described him as a “strong, brave man who achieved a lot in his short life” but added he was “battling with his mental health” due to “recent disclosures he made about historic trauma he suffered”.
The tribute continued: “He was a keen motorcyclist and would often spend weekends away with his son, Robert. He loved fell walking with his dog Ted and was a passionate musician who played the guitar, piano and accordion. He also loved to sing, and did his own covers of popular music.
“Phil was a fantastic granddad to his three grandchildren, James, George and William. They adored him.
“Phil had many wonderful and happy times with his family, and these memories will be treasured by his loved ones.”
He is survived by his wife Andrea, his two children Robert and Laura and their partners Sarah and Darren, grandchildren James, George and William, dad Bill and brother John, and “all his friends and those that knew him”.
Longcake’s body was winched down using ropes and a cherry picker on Monday afternoon, around 14 hours after police were first called to Dixon’s Chimney in Carlisle, Cumbria.
Police were first called at 2.22am to reports of a man trapped on the chimney, with fire and ambulances also scrambled to the scene.
A Coastguard helicopter had attempted a rescue earlier but the operation was aborted due to the precarious position of the trapped individual.
Fire chiefs at Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service had made a public appeal for a cherry-picker, or aerial work platform.
The platform arrived and a specialist working-at-height team from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service completed the operation.
The giant cherry picker arrived at the scene earlier on Monday and the operation to take the man down finished shortly before 5pm.
Roads around the structure, a prominent local landmark which was built in 1836, have been closed.
The chimney is around 270 feet tall, is a Grade II listed building and when built was the largest chimney in the country, according to a citation on the Historic England website.
Local reports said shouts and wailing could be heard coming from the chimney in the early hours of Monday morning before police arrived on the scene.