In reply to Anonymous:
Find this news disturbing, mainly because was up there on my own just the following day, after a dry night with no further snow fall. OK the visibility was poor on the top and I needed to put crampons on for swirral edge - which proved a bit of a feisty way up given that it was covered in snow and ice...but striding edge was pretty well snow free except in isolated patches, all of which were avoidable.
So what happened?
I have to say that on top of helvellyn, still wielding ice axe and crampons having completed swirrel edge, I encountered two lads in the mist looking for the summit cairn. Visability was down to about 10 feet, it was snowy on top yet these two were wearing trainers, jeans and thin Cags. they appraoched me to ask the best way down, and I asked them if they knew were they were since I was suprised at their (lack of) kit, which did not include a rucksack between them with the usual necessaries..
Turned out they had no idea where they were, and had no map or compass. I advised them NOT to head off towards swirrel edge and instead to take a left turn back down the safest way to thirlmere following the cairns, and off they went.
Point is, they could quite easily have become another 2 fatalities. Are the lakes in winter not being treated as potentially serious outings by walkers? The conditions weren't so bad so is it a case of lack of equipment, expereince or both which leads to actual or potential fatalities?