Friends name hillwalker who died the day before his birthday

Graham Cox was found dead in Scotland (Image: Handout) Devastated loved ones have paid tribute to James Graham Cox after he failed to return home from a hike. Heartbroken friends say Graham, known to pals as Jim, was a “thoroughly decent guy”. He was out walking with another man and a woman along the Aonach Eagach Ridge in Scotland on Saturday, August 5. It is thought one of the group was a guide. However they were all reported missing at around 9pm, reports the Daily Record . The trio were confirmed dead following a major search and rescue operation including police and mountain rescue. Their bodies were recovered from the area as crews received assistance from a coastguard helicopter The Aonach Eagach Ridge (Image: Getty) Graham was due to celebrate his 64th birthday the day after the incident. Devastated friends paid tribute to the “family man” who had a “great sense of humour”. Andy Webb said: “Sad news – Graham Cox, who I knew as Jim, passed away in a climbing accident in Glencoe at the weekend. He was a thoroughly decent guy, adventurous, great sense of humour, family man and real love of music. Just awful news. “I spent recent years at Cropredy Festival with him, I’m going there this week so I’ll raise a glass to him.” Andy Ormesher added: “Graham was one of my classmates from the ages of 11-18. We last met up at Northern Kin Festival in April. This is a deep felt loss.” The trio were walking in the Glencoe valley area (Image: Getty) The identities of the two people who died alongside Graham have not yet been released. There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal, the Scottish coroner. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: ‘We were made aware of concern for a group of three hillwalkers who had not returned from the Aonach Eagach ridge in Glencoe shortly after 9.05pm on Saturday, 5 August. ‘A search was carried out and the bodies of three people, two men and a woman, were found. HM Coastguard as well as Glencoe and RAF mountain rescue teams assisted with the recovery operation. “There do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.” A spokesperson for the RAF said: “We can confirm that our Mountain Rescue personnel assisted with this incident”.